Gun Policy News
'Accidental' gun death, injury and prevention
Global Gun Deaths Reach 250,000
29 August 2018
Australian (Sydney)
Gun deaths worldwide total about 250,000 yearly and the United States is among just six countries that make up half of those fatalities, a study has found.
The results from one of the most comprehensive analyses of firearm deaths reveal "a major public health problem for humanity," according to an editorial published with the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Although recent headlines make it seem like gun killings are surging globally, the new... (GunPolicy.org)
Accidental Shootings Leading Cause of Death Among NZ Hunters
13 March 2017
Newshub
New research has revealed hunters falling to their deaths is one of the leading causes of hunting fatalities, alongside firearms incidents.
It's just one finding in a first-of-its-kind analysis of hunting data aimed at identifying problem-areas in the sector.
A Hunters Tale, A deep dive into hunting incidents in New Zealand has been put together by the Mountain Safety Council, partnered with groups including the police, ACC, the Department of Conservation and... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Not Smart Guns in This High-Tech Era? - NY Times
26 November 2016
New York Times, Editorial
The Department of Justice has issued official guidelines for the manufacture of smart guns — weapons that, like smartphones, have technology to allow only the rightful owners to use them. The guidelines aim to "shape the future of gun safety technology," as called for under an executive order issued in January by President Obama, in the face of Congress's refusal to deal with the nation's horrendous toll of gun deaths.
Nearly 7,000 children committed suicide with... (GunPolicy.org)
US Justice Department Issues 'Smart Gun' Specifications
17 November 2016
FCW (US)
The Justice Department has issued a final set of baseline specifications for how "smart gun" technology could enhance firearm safety.
In a Nov. 16 blog post, Justice officials said the specifications contain "a detailed description of the minimum technical requirements that law enforcement agencies expect from smart gun technology" and mark a significant step forward in the Obama administration's efforts to combat gun violence.
During his State of the Union address in... (GunPolicy.org)
Should Carrying Hidden Handguns Be Legal in France? [FR]
15 November 2016
Femme Actuelle (France)
[Translated summary: In France, the use of a firearm for self-defence is strictly prohibited. Some advocate for the legalisation of firearms carry for civilians, claiming that a significant number of armed citizens in public spaces could prevent a terrorist attack. Others believe that legal carry is a false solution that could lead to a situation similar to that of the US, where 30,000 die every year victims of firearms.]
En France, l'usage d'une arme à feu pour se... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Deaths in Uruguay Spark Ammunition Calibre Debate [ES]
14 November 2016
Espectador (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Uruguay has registered 604,678 firearms since 1944 and is considered one of the most armed countries in the world. Recent deaths and injures caused by shots in the air generated a debate about which ammunition the police should use. The Interior Ministry advocates for the use of bullets with greater destructive power and less rebound, while the Ministry of Defence thinks it's better to use "full metal jacket" ammunition.]
Un joven murió por una... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 10,000 Guns Voluntarily Destroyed in State of Mexico [ES]
19 October 2016
La Jornada (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In the last five years in the State of Mexico, over 10,100 firearms have been collected, mainly from exchange programs. These firearms were surrendered peacefully, voluntarily and anonymously. The mayor explained that 400 children die in suicides, homicides and accidents caused by guns in Mexico every year and that 73.2% of violent deaths among the youth are caused by guns.]
En los últimos cinco años, en el Estado de México se han logrado... (GunPolicy.org)
'Guns Don't Kill People; Toddlers Kill People' - Brady US TV Ad
17 October 2016
USA Today
In a nation where someone utters the phrase "guns don't kill people, people do" in nearly every gun debate, a new gun control campaign agrees and goes a step further: It's not just people that kill people, but toddlers.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released a satirical video Monday calling for the deportation of toddlers, who obtained firearms and shot people on a weekly basis in 2015. The ad begins with a barrage of images showing children holding... (GunPolicy.org)
At Least One American Child Dies by Gunshot Every Other Day
14 October 2016
USA Today, Associated Press
Hours earlier, he was a happy 4-year-old who loved Ironman and the Hulk and all the Avengers. Now, as Bryson Mees-Hernandez approached death in a Houston hospital room, his brain swelling through the bullet hole in his face, his mother assured the boy it was OK to die.
"When you are on the other side," his mother, Crystal Mees, recalls telling him, "you are going to see Mommy cry a lot. It's not because she's mad. It's because she misses you."
And this: "It's not your... (GunPolicy.org)
US Agency Badly Undercounts Children Killed with Guns [ES]
14 October 2016
Euronews (France)
[Translated Summary: The real number of children killed with guns is underestimated in US official statistics. According to research, between January, 2014 and June this year, there have been 326 deaths by accidental shooting related to children. Yet only 74 were documented by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the agency responsible for keeping count.]
Es la cara oculta de la proliferación de armas de fuego en Estados Unidos: el numero real de niños muertos por... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Purchases Have Soared 1700% in Mexico Since 2000 [ES]
14 October 2016
Panampost (USA)
[Translated Summary: There has been an increase of 1700% in gun purchases by civilians in Mexico in the last 15 years. Between January 2000 and January 2016, 95,664 firearms were sold to the public. The increase has been almost 100% annually in the first years, with an additional 100% surge in ammunition sales.]
Con el afán de protegerse de la delincuencia, en México se ha incrementado 1700 % la compra de armas de fuego por parte de civiles en un lapso de 15... (GunPolicy.org)
326 US Children Unintentionally Shot, Killed in 2014-2016 [FR]
14 October 2016
Euro News
[Translated summary: In the US, between January 2014 and June 2016, there have been 326 fatal, but unintentional shootings and thousands of gun injury incidents involving children, according to a research by USA Today and the Associated Press. In 2014 the Centers for Disease Control only found 74 of those.]
C'est la face cachée du boom inédit du marché des armes à feu aux Etats-Unis : le nombre réel de morts par balle impliquant des enfants.
Bryson... (GunPolicy.org)
Higher Rates of Gun Death in US States with Weaker Gun Laws
12 October 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
The rates of gun violence in the 10 states with the weakest gun laws are more than three times higher than those in the 10 states with the strongest gun laws. That's one of the major findings of a new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) that analyzes 10 indicators of firearm violence—including suicide, murder, fatal gun accidents, and mass shootings—in all 50 states and finds a "strong" correlation between gun violence and weak gun laws.
The states... (GunPolicy.org)
US Groups Push New Gun Control Evidence, Election Sways
11 October 2016
New York Times
With guns emerging as a major flash point in the presidential race and campaigns nationwide, gun-control advocates are spending tens of millions of dollars on a central message: Stronger firearms laws can reduce gun violence.
Although the National Rifle Association has long rejected that assertion, a growing body of evidence from academics, advocacy groups and others supports the link between gun restrictions and a reduction in violence.
The latest analysis comes out... (GunPolicy.org)
In Two Years, 295 US Children Under 13 Have Shot Someone
10 October 2016
The Trace (USA)
Christa Engles was shot in the head in November, 2014 by her 3-year-old son while changing her baby's diaper in her Tulsa, Oklahoma home. The boy had found the 9mm semiautomatic handgun on a living room table.
Two months later, in Elmo, Missouri, five-year-old Corbin Wiederholt used a .22-caliber handgun he picked up off the headboard of the grandfather's bed to shoot and kill his nine-month-old brother.
Not long after that, at a home in LeBleu Settlement, Louisiana,... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Amazing Reasons Americans Got Shot, Killed Last Month
3 October 2016
The Trace (USA)
In a country that put 75 million additional guns into circulation over the past two decades, routine altercations can turn deadly. When fear drives firearms ownership, it can lead to unsafe gun handling that ends in unintentional shootings. As an exclusive for our Bulletin subscribers, The Trace's Jennifer Mascia culled September's headlines for the latest examples of the myriad ways that gun violence can erupt in the United States.
- Because a man's credit card was... (GunPolicy.org)
American Deaths in Terrorism vs. Gun Violence in One Graph
3 October 2016
CNN
In his nearly eight years in office, President Obama has formally addressed the nation on the subject of gun violence 25 times: on average, every 112 days.
But in the last year alone, he has made such statements roughly every 36 days.
In October 2015, after a gunman opened fire at Oregon's Umpqua Community College, killing nine people and injuring seven, a visibly upset Obama said the shootings were becoming all too routine.
He then asked news organizations to tally... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapon Buyback Destroys 328 Guns in Ecatepec, Mexico [ES]
2 October 2016
Jornada (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In 2 years of the "Firearms Exchange" campaign in Ecatepec, Mexico, 328 rifles and handguns, 59 grenades and 874 cartridges have been exchanged and destroyed .The exchange is voluntary, pacific and anonymous and the State pays an estimate in cash or electronic devices. Every year 400 children die by accidents, suicides and homicides caused by guns, and 72.2% of deaths are caused by firearms among young people.]
A dos años de las campañas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Offer Gun Amnesty, Free Home Pickup in Canada
22 September 2016
CTV News (Toronto)
Families across B.C. with unwanted guns and other weapons in their homes are being given a chance to give them up, no questions asked, for the month of October.
Police announced the amnesty program on Thursday, promising immunity for anyone who wants to turn in their documented or undocumented firearms.
"We recognize that some law-abiding British Columbians may find themselves in possession of firearms and other weapons that they're not legally entitled to," said... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Floods' Mexico with Guns - Ministry of Foreign Affairs [ES]
14 September 2016
Mi Morelia (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Over 13 million illegal firearms are circulating in Mexico, and 10 million of those are presumed to be in hands of organized crime. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out that in four US states on the border with Mexico, there are at least 9,000 legal gun shops and over 23,000 licences to sell them over the Internet and at gun shows.]
La violencia que ha asfixiado al país en los últimos 15 años tiene uno de sus orígenes en la laxitud... (GunPolicy.org)
Claims of the NRA's Favorite Social Scientist, Debunked
30 August 2016
Vox (USA)
The War Against Guns: Arming Yourself Against Gun Control Lies by John Lott is well on its way to ascending into the pantheon of pro-gun literature. A parade of conservative heavyweights has lavished praise on the book since its publication this month, among them Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist, Ann Coulter, and Sean Hannity. Cruz opined that "the Second Amendment has no better defender than John Lott," adding that with this book, Lott "has done... (GunPolicy.org)
Surgeon Frustrated After Decades of Sewing Up Shot Children
12 August 2016
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Dr. David Wesson points to a spot below his belly button. That's where the .22-caliber bullet pierced the abdomen of the first pediatric gunshot victim he ever treated.
The boy was 1 month old. He was perched on the kitchen table. His father had been cleaning a rifle when it unexpectedly discharged. The bullet ricocheted through the infant's body.
The surgeon's finger traces upward across his white coat, zig-zagging like a child's pencil following the lines of a maze:... (GunPolicy.org)
Another US Startup Designs a Low-Tech 'Smart Gun' Pistol
28 July 2016
Forbes (USA)
On first glance, it looks familiar to anyone who has seen a version of the Glock 17 pistol, the sleek handgun popularized by law enforcement around the country. But behind the trigger is a multi-colored, six-digit keypad that looks more like something you'd find on a door alarm than a gun.
The keypad stands out on the otherwise black pistol, a visual cue that the SMART 2 is not your ordinary handgun. It's also the reason why, according to the weapon's makers, it isn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Israeli Company Creates Gun Lock to Prevent Unauthorized Use
25 July 2016
Times of Israel
Jerusalem-based Zore is one of a group of companies trying to make guns safer, and it has a personal reason to do so.
The company, led by CEO Yonatan Zimmerman, was founded by a group of Israeli army veterans, who decided to tackle accidental deaths caused by the misuse of firearms after an army friend of theirs was shot by friendly fire.
The team has developed a gun lock, Zore X, that combines a gun's original mechanism with technology to create a storage solution... (GunPolicy.org)
US Latinos Much More Often Die by Gunshot Than Whites
5 July 2016
Fox News Latino (USA)
Since 1999, more than 50,000 Latinos have been killed by guns – a number far higher than that for whites – according to a recent study.
Between the years of 1999 and 2014, 50,456 Hispanics were killed by guns, with two-thirds of those deaths being homicides and 29 percent suicides. There were also 944 gun-related deaths, or about 2 percent, deemed unintentional, and 1,549 (3 percent) having an undetermined intent or the result of legal intervention, according to... (GunPolicy.org)
More and More Gun Deaths Among Hispanics in USA [ES]
24 June 2016
El Informador (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The rate of firearm deaths among Hispanic Americans was 4.69 gun deaths per 100,000 citizens in 2014, double the rate of gun death for white Americans. Over 50,000 Hispanics died between 1999 and 2014, 66% due to homicides and 29% due to suicides.]
WASHINGTON - El índice de muertes de hispanos por armas de fuego en Estados Unidos fue en 2014 de 4.69 fallecimientos por cada 100 mil habitantes, por encima del dato nacional y dos veces más que el... (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)
More Guns Make People Safer, Say US Gun Lobby Groups
29 May 2016
Washington Times
LOUISVILLE — Riots had broken out when Al Parsons was attending summer school at Louisiana State University soon after the Gun Control Act of 1968 passed, and someone was beating on his apartment door at midnight.
"I looked at my buddy. I said, 'None of my friends are coming this time of night,'" Mr. Parsons said. "He says, 'Mine either.'"
Mr. Parsons, a 67-year-old retiree from Indiana, said he had recently asked his father to purchase a pistol for him — a buy he... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealer Founds Movement to Prevent Firearm Suicides
18 May 2016
Scientific American
Ralph Demicco feels as though he has watched the 53-minute surveillance video 100 times, searching it for clues to preventing tragedy. He sees a young man walk into his gun shop in Hooksett, N.H. The man asks about buying a handgun. "He engaged the clerk in small talk, totally disarmed the clerk," Demicco says. "No way in heck that clerk would suspect that three quarters of an hour after the conversation that person would take his life."
And yet the 24-year-old man did... (GunPolicy.org)
America May Be Getting Ready For a Smarter Kind of Gun
17 May 2016
Huffington Post (USA)
Jonathan Mossberg has already made a smart gun — a shotgun that can only be discharged by someone wearing a ring that communicates with a chip inside the weapon, unlocking it.
The gunmaker's smart guns, there are about 25 of them, are nearly 20 years old. They have been tested repeatedly and kept in the homes of his friends and family for self-defense. But Mossberg's Florida-based company, iGun Technology Corp., has never scaled the high-tech components to a handgun.... (GunPolicy.org)
US 5-Year Old Kills Herself With Gun Under Gran's Pillow
11 May 2016
Washington Post
A 5-year-old girl was playing with her baby brother and 3-year-old neighbor early Wednesday when she found a gun, police said.
The revolver had been tucked under her grandmother's pillow in the Detroit home. It was loaded. And while in the hands of the little girl, the weapon went off, hitting her in the neck and killing her, Detroit police said.
"The grandfather went upstairs and found the baby, and immediately called 911," officer Jennifer Moreno, a spokeswoman for... (GunPolicy.org)
In Two Weeks, 7 US Toddlers Shot Someone with a Gun
7 May 2016
News.com.au
It has been 10 days of "gut wrenching" carnage in the US, with a tragic number of toddlers being fatally shot or inflicting injury on a family member, simply because of an unsecured firearm.
In their own homes, in their cots or in the car — 2016 has seen a concerning spike in toddler related shootings than in the previous year.
As the second biggest killer in the country, 23 incidents of shootings that involve toddlers have already happened this year alone. That's... (GunPolicy.org)
Four US Toddlers Shot and Killed Themselves in One Week
5 May 2016
New York Times
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Sha'Quille Kornegay, 2 years old, was buried in a pink coffin, her favorite doll by her side and a tiara strategically placed to hide the self-inflicted gunshot wound to her forehead.
She had been napping in bed with her father, Courtenay Block, late last month when she discovered the 9-millimeter handgun he often kept under his pillow in his Kansas City, Mo., home. It was equipped with a laser sight that lit up like the red lights on her... (GunPolicy.org)
100s of Child Gun Deaths "Occasional Mishaps" - Gun Lobby
5 May 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
In an in-depth investigation in 2013, Mother Jones found that guns kill hundreds of children per year in the United States. Many die in homicides, and many others die in accidents—mostly when children themselves pull the trigger. The kids shooting themselves or others have often been as young as two or three years old. Invariably these "tragedies" result from adults leaving unsecured firearms lying around in their homes or, in some cases, in their cars.
Since our... (GunPolicy.org)
11 Americans Shot to Death By a Toddler So Far This Year
3 May 2016
Vocativ (USA)
In the United States of America, you are just as likely to be killed by a toddler as by a venomous snake, a lizard, a or spider, and even more likely than by lightning—all because of the worrisome access small children have to firearms.
On April 27, a toddler in Milwaukee accidentally shot and killed his mother from the back seat of her car. The two-year-old picked up the gun after it slid under the seat and fired as they were driving down the highway. His mother... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Teen Shoots Himself Dead While Taking a Selfie
3 May 2016
CNet
Last Friday night, 15-year-old Ramandeep Singh wanted to take a selfie.
However, as The Indian Express reports, he chose to take one while posing with his dad's pistol.
He accidentally shot himself in the head, was taken to hospital in Ludhiana, India, and died from his injuries.
The Telegraph reports that instead of pressing the button on his phone to take the picture, he pulled the gun's trigger. The safety catch, police say, wasn't on.
The Punjab Police didn't... (GunPolicy.org)
White House Hopes to Launch US Smart Gun Technology
29 April 2016
NBC News (USA)
The White House hopes it can finally launch smart gun technology — childproof weaponry aimed at stopping accidental shootings and increasing gun safety.
The administration is, for the first time, trying to put in place the requirements needed so law enforcement could eventually use smart guns. It's using findings in a new report from the Defense, Homeland Security and Justice Departments — agencies that were directed in January to look into the matter as Obama... (GunPolicy.org)
Kansas Gives Away Free Gun Locks, No Questions Asked
25 April 2016
Fox 4 Newsroom (USA)
KANSAS CITY — After a little girl was killed by gunfire inside her own home on Thursday, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp is reminding families of the 'No Questions Asked' program.
Gun owners can pick up a gun lock at Children's Mercy Hospital's Adele Hall campus, the south campus in Overland Park, and the Midtown Broadway clinic. They can also get one at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Lee's Summit.
"Protecting firearms in the home more than a substantial... (GunPolicy.org)
US: Toddler Fatally Shoots Himself with Mother's Gun
21 April 2016
Washington Post
A 2-year-old Indiana boy fatally shot himself Wednesday evening after discovering a gun in his mother's purse, authorities said.
The boy retrieved the gun when his mother "momentarily stepped away," leaving her purse on the kitchen counter, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.
"The grieving mother is cooperating with detectives and after detectives questioned her she was later released," the release stated. "This incident is being... (GunPolicy.org)
Activists Say US Gun Violence is a Crisis Driven by Profit
10 April 2016
Daily Nexus (USA)
Legislators and activists spoke Thursday night at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on gun violence in America and what can be done to address the "profit-driven crisis" causing mass shootings, domestic violence, suicide and accidents across America.
The panel discussion, which followed a screening of the film "Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and the NRA," included the film's director, Robert Greenwald; State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson; Assemblymember Das Williams; Mayor... (GunPolicy.org)
Québec: Bill to Impose Mandatory Gun Registration [FR]
5 April 2016
Institute National de Santé Publique Québec (Canada)
[Translated summary: In Québec, suicide is the leading gun-related cause of death. Between 2009 and 2013, an average of 127 people died annually as a result of gun suicide - most of them men in their own homes. Bill No. 64 aims to make the registration of firearms mandatory again.]
Les enjeux liés à l'accès aux armes à feu vont bien au-delà de leur utilisation dans le cadre d'activités criminelles. L'accessibilité aux armes à feu constitue un facteur de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute National de Santé Publique Québec (Canada)
Gun Lobby Puts Guns in Fairy Tales to Recruit Children [FR]
29 March 2016
Terrafemina
[Translated summary: The US pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, is re-writing fairy tales by making their characters use firearms in an attempt to recruit children at an early age.]
Pour recruter des adeptes dès l'enfance, les lobbyistes pro-armes de la National Rifle Association (NRA) ont trouvé la solution : réécrire les contes de fées en armant le petit Chaperon rouge pour qu'il plombe le derrière du grand méchant loup.
Vous rappelez-vous... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Officials Want to Charge Mother Shot by Her Toddler
25 March 2016
San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press
PALATKA, Florida -- The mother of a 4-year-old boy who shot her as they were riding in a pickup truck should face a misdemeanour charge, authorities said Tuesday as they released details of the shooting for the first time.
The mother, 31-year-old Jamie Gilt, put a loaded .45-caliber handgun underneath the front seat of her pickup on March 8 and the weapon slid into the back seat where her son Lane was riding in a child booster seat, Putnam County Sheriff's Capt. Gator... (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)
Macabre Truth: US Toddlers Shoot, Kill More than Terrorists Do
13 March 2016
Guardian, Opinion
This week, in my country, considered by some of its more embarrassing denizens to be the "greatest country in the world", an outspoken Florida "gun rights" advocate left a loaded .45 calibre handgun in the back seat of her car and was promptly shot and wounded by her four-year-old child. Truly a pinnacle of human potential, much like the invention of paper in second-century BC China, or Aristotle holding forth in the Lyceum, or whoever first pointed out that Florida... (GunPolicy.org)
When Kids Shoot Their Parents: An American Tradition
10 March 2016
Trace
When aspiring gun model and staunch Second Amendment defender Jamie Gilt was shot by her four-year-old son in Florida earlier this week, some observers saw a moment ripe for the particular form of schadenfreude most at home on social media: an instant-karma story of someone getting what was coming to them.
A prolific sharer of pro-gun memes, Gilt had recently posted "My right to protect my child with my gun trumps your fear of my gun" to her Facebook page, and on... (GunPolicy.org)
US Pro-gun Lobbyist Shot in the Back by Her 4-year-old Son
9 March 2016
Washington Post
Hours after gun-rights advocate Jamie Gilt bragged on Facebook that her 4-year-old son "gets jacked up to target shoot," the same child accidentally turned his mother into a target, shooting her in the back.
The 31-year-old Jacksonville woman was driving down a road in Putnam County, Fla., on Tuesday when her son managed to get hold of a gun while he was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, according to a statement released by the Putnam County Sheriff's... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-gun Florida Mom Shot by Her 4yr-old Son While Driving
9 March 2016
Daily Mail (UK)
Pro-gun Florida mom is accidentally shot by her four-year-old son while driving after the boy found her pistol in back seat - just a day after she bragged about his shooting skills
- Jamie Gilt, 31, was driving with her son, 4, through Putnam County, Florida
- The child picked up a loaded .45 handgun from the back seat and fired
- Gilt was shot and wounded after the round passed through the truck's seat
- She told deputies that she had been shot in the back by her... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Rights Advocate Accidentally Shot in the Back by Her 4-year-old Son
9 March 2016
Mashable, Associated Press
A north Florida woman is in the hospital after her 4-year-old son shot her in the back while sitting in the backseat of her pickup truck.
31-year-old Jamie Gilt is a self-described advocate for "gun sense" who posts enthusiastically on social media sites about firearms and protecting her right to bear arms. She appears to be the same Jamie Gilt who was hospitalized yesterday.
A Putnam County Sheriff's Office news release says a deputy saw Gilt behaving frantically... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Brazil,South Africa
Gun Control: What Works and What Doesn't
7 March 2016
Washington Post, Blog
Gun control works, but you have to be smart about it.
That's the takeaway from a major new analysis out this month in the journal Epidemiologic Reviews. Columbia University's Julian Santaella-Tenorio and a team of researchers pored over the results of 130 studies on gun control legislation passed in 10 different countries to find out which policy interventions worked, which ones didn't and on what issues the jury was still out.
Big caveat up front: Sussing out cause... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway Armed Its Police for a Year, Then Disarmed Them
5 February 2016
Washington Post
Norway has long been one of the relatively few European countries where police officers do not routinely carry firearms. In November 2014, this changed: The country's police officers were ordered to be armed at all times. However, that order ran out this Wednesday, and Norwegian police officers have now disarmed.
So, after roughly 14 months, Norway's experiment with permanently armed police officers is over – for the time being, at least.
What lies behind this... (GunPolicy.org)
Maryland (US) Handgun Ballistic Records Scrapped
10 November 2015
Hot Air (USA)
For gun control advocates, it sure sounded like a great idea. Why not force gun purchasers to fire a round at the police station so that the ballistic "fingerprint" of the firearm could be catalogued? That way, police could find the perpetrator every time a gun was used in a crime. What could go wrong?
Plenty, according to the Baltimore Sun's Erin Cox. Fifteen years, millions of dollars, and 340,000 shell casings later, Maryland decided last week to scrap the system... (GunPolicy.org)
Jordan Bans Use of Firearms in Public but People are Still Shooting
21 August 2015
The Arab Weekly
Amman - Samer Khalidi, 17, was hit by a bullet in the head at the end of July while attending a wedding party in the northern city of Ramtha. He died instantly. No one expected that the wedding would turn into a funeral, especially when the person who fired a gun into the air was the groom, who ended up in jail.
In Kerak, south of Amman, a bride was hospitalised in May after she was seriously wounded in the forearm by a stray bullet in her outdoor wedding... (GunPolicy.org)
Experts Discusion on Gun Buyback Programs in United States
17 July 2015
Trace (USA)
On June 27, the Tampa Police Department staged a daylong gun buyback event in response to a recent rise of shootings and homicides in Hillsborough County, Florida. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., anyone in the county could anonymously exchange an operating gun for $50 in cash and walk away with no questions asked. By the end of the day, the department had collected 521 firearms: 213 revolvers, 135 pistols, 104 rifles, and 79 shotguns. After being catalogued, the haul will be... (GunPolicy.org)
Report: More Kids Die in Shootings than Statistics Show in America
25 June 2014
USA Today
Two children die almost every week in unintentional shootings — far more than government statistics show — according to a new study by Everytown for Gun Safety.
Medical examiners sometimes categorize shooting deaths of children as homicides or suicides before investigations or court proceedings are complete, and that puts more young lives at risk, says the gun-control group's president, John Feinblatt.
"If you don't have the right numbers, then you don't... (GunPolicy.org)
French Pensioner Shoots Son Mistaking Him for Bird
23 June 2014
Local (France)
A Frenchman shot his son three times after mistaking him for a blackbird raiding the family cherry tree. The story is just the latest in a long line of tragic and freak shooting accidents in France.
A Frenchman aged in his 70s noticed some rustling in his cherry tree tree on Saturday night in north-western France and, assuming it was hungry blackbirds pillaging his fruit, he pulled out his shotgun and opened fire.
But the movement in the tree was not in fact... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Las Vegas 'Good Guy with a Gun' - Victim or Martyr?
17 June 2014
BBC News, Blog
Shortly after the shooting that killed 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut, National Rifle Association executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre said: "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun".
The oft-repeated line has become a rallying cry for proponents of looser firearm regulation as well as being a target of derision for those who believe that "good guys" with guns frequently do more harm than good.
The recent shooting spree in Las... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Pistorius and the Unfinished Gun Ownership Debate in South Africa
12 June 2014
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg), Opinion
When Oscar Pistorius first entered the courtroom where he stood accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the case raised great interest. It was followed online, on radio and even watched on TV, where it received a lot of coverage. While some see the spotlight put on gun ownership by the trial as nothing but the "negligent actions of but one famous public figure", recent headlines evidence that the problem is much deeper than that.
Some of the headlines... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Injured at Chinese Kindergarten in Police Gun Safety Display
30 May 2014
Standard (Hong Kong)
A policeman's handgun went off accidentally when two officers held a safety demonstration at a kindergarten in China to mark International Children's Day, injuring one child and four parents, authorities said.
A gun discharged accidentally and a bullet hit the ground, sending shards of cement flying into the air, wounding five people, said police authorities in Zhengzhou, in the central province of Henan.
They had injuries to their arms and legs and were rushed to... (GunPolicy.org)
The Best Reporting on Guns in America – A Collection from ProPublica
28 May 2014
ProPublica
Are Mass Shootings Increasing? Depends on How You Count Them
Criminologists have made the same point again and again: the number of mass shootings in America is not increasing. Experts told the Los Angeles Times that mass shootings represent only a small fraction of the annual deaths due to gun violence, and that police data indicate that the overall count of mass shootings per year has not shown any significant increase over time. This conclusion is based on the FBI's... (GunPolicy.org)
Smart Guns Deserve a Chance in the US Market - Bloomberg editorial
21 May 2014
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
Poor Ernst Mauch. The managing director of Armatix GmbH, a German firearms maker, appears to believe in "a market-driven approach to firearms safety." Unfortunately, the forces that shape the roughly $4 billion U.S. civilian guns and ammunition industry are increasingly political.
Armatix makes the iP1 "smart gun," which communicates with a wristwatch to identify its authorized user and makes it impossible for anyone but the gun's owner to fire it. Given that there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Luxembourg,United States,Germany
Ten Things the Gun Industry Won't Tell You – Wall St Journal
20 May 2014
Wall Street Journal
1. "Owning our product may be hazardous to your health."
In the U.S., there are now somewhere between 270 million and 310 million guns, according to the Pew Research Center — that's almost one gun for every person in the nation. Judges and legislators across the political spectrum recognize the constitutional right to bear arms. And gun and ammunition sales to private citizens are a significant part of a nearly $15 billion industry that's seeing plenty of growth: On... (GunPolicy.org)
No Silver Bullet… But Focus on Guns to Reduce Global Violence
16 May 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
There is no "silver bullet" to reduce armed violence, a multi-faceted, complex phenomenon with a long list of drivers, risk factors and causal connections. Moreover, the local manifestation of armed violence often reflects unique factors and peculiarities found in a given community, country or culture, but not elsewhere.
As once noted about politics, all violence is also local; as such, there are many different interpretations of the best ways to confront this global... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Don't We Know How Many People are Shot Each Year in America?
14 May 2014
ProPublica
How many Americans have been shot over the past 10 years? No one really knows. We don't even know if the number of people shot annually has gone up or down over that time.
The government's own numbers seem to conflict. One source of data on shooting victims suggests that gun-related violence has been declining for years, while another government estimate actually shows an increase in the number of people who have been shot. Each estimate is based on limited, incomplete... (GunPolicy.org)
Rising Number of Accidents Prompts Calls for Gun Control in New Zealand
11 May 2014
New Zealand Herald
A string of hunting accidents is proof New Zealand's firearms laws need to be reviewed, a leading gun control advocate says.
In the past 10 years, 19 people have died and 57 have been injured by firearms.
A 44-year-old duck hunter suffered serious injuries after being shot in the elbow last Saturday. Another man, also 44, has been charged with careless use of a firearm causing injury and released on bail.
Kevin Clements, chairman of Peace and Conflict Studies at... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Laws in America Are Not So Smart
6 May 2014
Economist
Since January 1st 3,551 people have been killed by gun violence in America, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The victims include Endia Martin, a 14-year-old girl, who was shot in the back in Chicago last week after an argument with a former friend over a boy. The weapon that was used to kill Martin, a .38 special revolver, began as a legal gun, reports the Chicago Tribune, but somehow it made its way to into this adolescent tussle, turning a flare up between young... (GunPolicy.org)
Framing Danger of Guns as Public Health Risk Will Change the Debate
3 May 2014
Washington Post, Opinion
When Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed his state's so-called guns everywhere law, it marked the latest in a string of legislative defeats for gun-control activists. Since the December 2012 Sandy Hook murders, 20 states have loosened gun laws. Georgia has now upped the ante with a bill that allows people to carry concealed weapons into bars, churches, schools and airports and prohibits law enforcement from requiring someone to show their gun owner's license .
To be sure,... (GunPolicy.org)
Maryland Gun Dealer Drops Smart Gun Sales Plan After Gun Lobby Pressure
2 May 2014
Washington Post
A Rockville gun store owner who said he would sell the nation's first smart gun — even after a California gun store removed the weapon from its shelves to placate angry gun-rights activists — backed down late Thursday night after enduring a day of protests and death threats.
Andy Raymond, the co-owner of Engage Armament, a store known for its custom assault rifles, had said earlier this week that offering the Armatix iP1 handgun was a "really tough decision" after... (GunPolicy.org)
Zambian Man Injures Daughter, Nephew in Accidental Shooting
1 May 2014
UK Zambians
A trigger happy man on Sunday caused panic at a funeral house when a firearm he had put in his pocket after firing casually in the air accidentally went off, shooting and wounding his 14-year-old daughter and nephew in Mumbwa.
The man of Lusaka's Kanyama township, identified as Allan Ngwenya, 52, is alleged to have fired in the air at the funeral house before putting his pistol, an Austria, serial number VAK 951, which had eight rounds of ammunition in his pocket... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Girl Shot with Airgun by Teen Brother, Police Warn of Risks
15 April 2014
Dominion Post (Wellington)
An eight-year-old girl accidentally shot by her brother is in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital.
The girl's 12-year-old brother shot her in the stomach with a low-powered slug gun near Wairoa around 4.45pm on Sunday.
The girl suffered minor injuries and was flown to the hospital by the Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter.
Wairoa police senior sergeant Tony Bates said the pellet lodged deep within the girl's abdomen.
He said the circumstances were still being... (GunPolicy.org)
US Doctors Say Gun Violence a Public Health Issue
10 April 2014
Washington Post
With last month's controversy over Vivek Murthy's nomination for surgeon general still fresh, the nation's second-largest physicians group reaffirmed Thursday that it considers firearm violence a public health issue and issued a wide-ranging set of recommendations to address the deaths and injuries caused by guns.
The timing appears to be coincidental. But like Murthy — whose nomination was blocked in large part by a National Rifle Association offensive over his... (GunPolicy.org)
Personalised Guns May Prevent Unintentional Shootings, Homicides in Pakistan
25 March 2014
Dawn
The school boy from Karachi knew he wasn't supposed to, but he got hold of it anyway.
It was his father's handgun, and he was showing it to a classmate who was visiting him at home. What happened next was tragic. The gun went off accidently, shooting the visiting youngster in the head and killing him.
This was nearly twenty years ago, and gun fatalities at the hands of youngsters in Pakistan have only worsened. GunPolicy.org estimates that at least 18,000,000 guns are... (GunPolicy.org)
Editorial: Guns are a Health-Care Issue, Despite US Gun Lobby's Opposition
23 March 2014
Washington Post, Editorial
Every year guns are used to kill thousands of people, and not always the bad guys. For decades, doctors and other public health experts have argued that preventing gun deaths, particularly from accidents and suicides, should be a priority — like curtailing car fatalities or tobacco use. For their sense, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and others on the pro-gun side have pilloried them, ruining careers and stopping needed research with the help of a cowed... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Opposes Nominee Whose Views on Guns Match Public Opinion
20 March 2014
Guardian (UK)
Few Americans have likely heard of Vivek Murthy, President Obama's nominee to be the nation's Surgeon General. But let me tell you, this guy has got some pretty nutty views.
Don't believe me. Listen to what the National Rifle Association has to say about him: "Dr Murthy's record of political activism in support of radical gun control measures raises significant concerns."
"Radical gun control measures"! Go on.
Murthy has some crazy, crazy ideas about guns. For... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Norway,United States
Limits of Neutrality: How Wikipedia Avoids Identifying Mass Shooting Guns
18 March 2014
Action on Armed Violence (London)
On 22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik took a boat to the small island of Utøya on a Norwegian lake not far from Oslo. Dressed as a police officer, he claimed to be checking on the safety of a Labour party youth camp after an explosion in downtown Oslo hours earlier. The campers did not know that Breivik was not a police officer, that he was responsible for the blast, or that he viewed them as traitors. When they gathered around, Breivik, armed with a Ruger Mini-14... (GunPolicy.org)
Oscar Pistorius Knew Gun-Safety Laws, Says South African Gun Dealer
17 March 2014
Wall Street Journal
PRETORIA, South Africa — A gun dealer told the South African court trying Oscar Pistorius on murder charges that the sports star knew the country's gun-safety laws and what is permissible in dealing with intruders, as prosecutors attempted to show that he was a trigger-happy man with an overzealous interest in firearms.
Before the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, the model and aspiring television star Reeva Steenkamp, Mr. Pistorius bought an LM6 semiautomatic rifle,... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Athlete Accused of Murder had 'Great Love' for Guns
17 March 2014
CBS News (USA)
PRETORIA, South Africa - Months before he killed his girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius said he drew his gun and went into "combat mode" after thinking he heard the noise of an intruder at his home, which turned out to be a washing machine, a South African gun expert testified Monday at the athlete's murder trial.
Sean Rens also said Pistorius wanted to buy seven more guns in 2012 - to add to the 9 mm pistol he already owned for self-defense - and asked the firearm trainer to... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Industry Benefits from America's Epidemic of Gun Violence
10 March 2014
Baltimore Post Examiner
America is a violent place by any standard. The national firearm-related death rate has held steady at 10.5 per 100,000 people since 1999, well above the global average. Some of its cities exhibit epidemic rates of gun death on par with crime-affected urban centers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Hard as it might be to believe, levels of lethal violence are actually at historic lows.
Declines occurred after the passage of specific legislation designed to prevent... (GunPolicy.org)
Disarmed: How American Cities Are Losing the Power to Regulate Guns
6 March 2014
Atlantic (USA)
It was after midnight on February 15. Valentine's Day had ended, but there were still roses in the gift shop when two men hobbled into Via Christi Hospital St. Joseph in Wichita, Kansas, each with a bullet wound in the thigh. One of them explained to police that he had a concealed-carry handgun license, and that he'd been drinking at the Shot Time II bar when he'd accidentally fired a bullet through his own leg and into the leg of the man sitting next to him.
Kansas... (GunPolicy.org)
Celebratory Gunfire a Changing Part of UAE Culture
27 February 2014
Telegraph (UK), Blog
We don't hear about gun crime in the UAE. It's just not something that happens. But that didn't stop me from feeling utterly petrified some time ago when I was woken in the early hours by the sound of gunfire.
I was staying at the time in a seafront resort in a rural area of Oman, just across the border from the UAE. As I lay rigid in bed listening to the gunshots getting closer, it struck me that we were staying in a villa right on the beach. I can't tell you the... (GunPolicy.org)
After Decades With Few Guns, Almost Every Libyan Household Has One
25 February 2014
PolicyMic
In a country where civilian gun ownership was rare for decades, a sudden inundation of small arms means plenty of people will likely get shot.
One recent afternoon, Ahmed, 26, was driving around Tripoli with his brother Bashir, 24. Without warning, the driver in the car in front of them slammed his brakes. Ahmed, who nearly rear-ended the offending vehicle, honked his horn. The other driver got out of his car. A shouting match became physical and the man went back to... (GunPolicy.org)
Could Technology be the Gun Control of 2014?
25 February 2014
MSNBC News (USA)
Smart guns similar to James Bond's pistol are marching closer to reality as manufacturers expect to continue testing prototypes throughout 2014 and a few politicians push for new technology to make firearms safer.
Manufacturers design "smart" guns, also referred to as "personalized" or "owner-authorized" firearms, to prevent intentional and unintentional shootings by children and other unauthorized users. The idea of incorporating technology into guns took hold during... (GunPolicy.org)
US Man Kills Himself While Demonstrating Gun Safety
25 February 2014
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
A Michigan man from Independence Township accidentally killed himself after reportedly firing a gun into his head while attempting to demonstrate how safe the weapon was.
The 36-year-old man's girlfriend told law enforcement that he'd been drinking throughout the day when the incident occurred Sunday evening. Police told the Oakland Press that when they arrived at the home, the girlfriend was performing CPR on the man. He was declared dead at the scene.
Authorities... (GunPolicy.org)
US Study Shows Having a Gun in the House Doesn't Make a Woman Safer
23 February 2014
Atlantic (USA)
Christy Salters Martin is a professional boxer and the owner of a concealed carry permit. But when she attempted to leave her husband, she was shot with her own gun. Today, she cautions other women against making the same mistake. "Just putting a weapon in the woman's hand is not going to reduce the number of fatalities or gunshot victims that we have. Too many times, their male counterpart or spouse will be able to overpower them and take that gun away."
Wayne... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Instructor Gives Licences After Helping Students With Exams
20 February 2014
CBC News (Canada)
A Winnipeg-area gun instructor is certifying people to buy weapons after less than three hours of instruction, and helping students with answers to their mandatory exam questions, CBC News has learned.
Before anyone can buy a gun in Canada, they have to pass a Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) from an instructor licensed by the RCMP. The police won't say exactly how long the instruction should be, but a cross-Canada CBC survey of courses found most range from... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Officer Checking Gun Accidentally Shoots, Kills Colleague in India
20 February 2014
Times of India
NAGPUR - A head constable in his forties was declared dead at a private hospital on Wednesday after sustaining a bullet injury in the stomach at Ajni headquarters of Government Railway Police. Another constable, who was injured in the incident, has been booked for causing death due to negligence.
The incident took place as constable Eknath Lahutkar tested the firearm without taking due precaution when head constable Rajesh Bagdikar was returning a pistol to the unit... (GunPolicy.org)
'We Need The iPhone Of Guns.' Will Smart Guns Transform The Gun Industry?
18 February 2014
Washington Post
One of California's largest firearm stores recently added a peculiar new gun to its shelves. It requires an accessory: a black waterproof watch.
The watch's primary purpose is not to provide accurate time, though it does. The watch makes the gun think. Electronic chips inside the gun and watch communicate with each other. If the watch is within close reach of the gun, a light on the grip turns green. Fire away. No watch means no green light. The gun becomes a... (GunPolicy.org)
Over Three School Shootings a Month in US Since Newtown - New Analysis
13 February 2014
Washington Post, Blog
There have been at least 44 school shootings on K-12 or college campuses in 24 states — an average of more than three a month — since the deadly 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., according to a new analysis. Twenty-eight people have died and 37 have been injured.
Twenty children and six adults working at Sandy Hook were killed in the December 2012 assault in Newtown, leading to renewed calls around the nation for Congress to take action... (GunPolicy.org)
Boston Plans Gun Buybacks After Shooting Death of 9-Year-Old by Brother
9 February 2014
Reuters
Boston plans to launch a gun buyback program in a bid to reduce shootings following the death last week of a 9-year-old boy who was shot by his 14-year-old brother in an apparent accident, Mayor Marty Walsh said.
Walsh, who took office last month, said he was still developing a specific plan, including how much would be paid and how collection would work, with the city's newly appointed police commissioner, William Evans.
"It's a short-term solution," Walsh told... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,New Zealand,Europe
Guns Raise Risk of Suicide, Homicide, Shot Women: Global Meta-Analysis
21 January 2014
University of California, San Francisco, Media release
Someone with access to firearms is three times more likely to commit suicide and nearly twice as likely to be the victim of a homicide as someone who does not have access, according to a comprehensive review of the scientific literature conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco.
The meta-analysis, published online Jan. 20 in Annals of Internal Medicine, pools results from 15 investigations, slightly more than half of which were done after a 1996 federal law... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,New Zealand,United States
Access to Guns Lifts Risk of Suicide, Homicide: Global Meta-Analysis
21 January 2014
Annals of Internal Medicine (Philadelphia)
Abstract
Background: Research suggests that access to firearms in the home increases the risk for violent death.
Purpose: To understand current estimates of the association between firearm availability and suicide or homicide.
Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were searched without limitations and a gray-literature search was performed on 23 August 2013.
Study Selection: All study types that assessed... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns + Impulsive Teenagers = Family Tragedy in America - MSNBC feature
19 January 2014
MSNBC News (USA)
Michael Graham killed himself a year ago. The 13-year-old was at home in Brewster, N.Y., and used one of his father's unsecured guns to shoot himself on Jan. 14, 2013. The boy "definitely" acted on impulse – "without a doubt," his aunt Maureen Hutchins told msnbc.
"Did he have a bad day at school? Fight with a girlfriend? Things that happen to a 13-year-old – when you're that age – can seem overwhelming, but two hours later, you know, you move on," said Hutchins.... (GunPolicy.org)
Four-Year-Old Detroit Girl Shoots Playmate Dead
17 January 2014
Belfast Telegraph
A four-year-old girl accidentally shot dead a little boy she was playing with at a house.
Police captain Rodney Cox said the shooting happened yesterday when the girl, the four-year-old victim and a five year old were playing in a bedroom and found the gun.
Mr Cox said an adult was in the home in Detroit, Michigan, at the time, though it was not yet clear exactly... (GunPolicy.org)
Fight Over Girlfriend in Zimbabwe Ends in Fatal Shooting
11 January 2014
Herald (Zimbabwe)
A 33-year-old security guard stationed at Mavhudzi High School in Nyazura ran amok on Wednesday night, fatally shooting his workmate for allegedly having an affair with his girlfriend.
The guard, identified as Joseph Zvikumva, also accidentally shot and seriously injured a female worker at the school.
Zvikumva fled the scene after committing the offence and police have since launched a manhunt for him.
He is wanted for murder and attempted murder.
Police... (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)
Last US State Passes Concealed Carry Gun Law, Cops Wary of Changes
9 January 2014
JC Online (Indiana) / USA Today
CHICAGO - Illinois is now the last state in the U.S. to allow average citizens to carry around concealed firearms.
On Sunday, it joined a two-decade long parade of jurisdictions ranging from Arizona to Vermont that have loosened their gun laws at the same time violent crime rates were dropping across the country.
"For years, we heard from gun control groups that concealed-carry laws would result in an increase in crime," said Larry Keane, general counsel for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Man Hunting Stray Dogs Kills Self Accidentally With Unregistered Gun
6 January 2014
Arab News (Jeddah)
Jeddah - The menace of stray dogs cost a man his life as he killed himself accidentally with a hunting firearm in Al-Aqiq in Baha on Sunday while attempting to shoot the dogs.
A police official said the man, in his twenties, was found dead next to his car apparently shooting himself while trying to kill stray dogs.
Col. Saad Turad, spokesman for Baha Police, told Arab News that preliminary investigations revealed that a gunshot broke the man's skull as it came... (GunPolicy.org)
Firecracker, Stray Bullet Injuries Continue to Rise in Philippines
27 December 2013
Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Five days ahead of the New Year, the number of firecracker injuries recorded by the Department of Health (DOH) has increased to 72, with piccolo as the leading cause of injury.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said 37 of the 72 cases reported were caused by piccolo, an imported firecracker.
Ona has given parents the task of ensuring that their children will not use any type of firecracker.
"It has always been the responsibility of the police to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Yale Students Recommend Public Health Approach to Gun Policy
20 December 2013
Hartford Courant (Connecticut), Opinion
In the year since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, more than 11,161 people were killed with a firearm in the U.S., while an estimated 69,000 were shot and survived and 20,000 committed suicide with a firearm. Also, at least six other mass shootings — such as the Navy Yard shooting in Washington and a shooting that injured 13 people in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood — were committed.
Although Sandy Hook motivated some states —... (GunPolicy.org)
High-Profile US Gun Control Groups Join Forces
18 December 2013
USA Today
Moms will soon join mayors in a push to limit access to illegal firearms, as two high-profile groups reveal plans to merge.
Outgoing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns on Thursday will announce that it is joining with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a year-old grassroots campaign launched the day after the Dec. 14, 2012, shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
The combined group will align Bloomberg's... (GunPolicy.org)
Teen Hunter Accidentally Shoots Father Dead, Kills Self in France
16 December 2013
National Post (Toronto)
France is in shock after a 14-year-old boy mistakenly shot his father dead while out hunting then turned the gun on himself in despair and committed suicide.
The father and son had been out hunting on Saturday afternoon in Sourribes in the Alpes-de-Haute Provence when the boy slipped on leaves, accidentally pulling the trigger, police said. The bullet struck his 42-year-old father in the legs.
The distraught teenager then called contacted a family member who alerted... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico Toughens Penalties for Celebratory Shootings
3 December 2013
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
SAN JUAN – Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla on Monday signed two amendments to the island's gun law toughening the penalties for illegal weapons possession and for firing shots into the air, a common cause of accidents especially during the Christmas season.
"Whoever fires a weapon into the air, possesses or carries an illegal weapon, will have to serve jail time without the right to probation or to diversion programs," said Garcia Padilla upon signing the... (GunPolicy.org)
'Stand Your Ground' May Apply in Shooting Death of US Man With Alzheimer's
1 December 2013
Eurasia Review
Mistaken for a prowler, an elderly man with Alzheimer's was shot early Wednesday in rural Walker County, Georgia after approaching a house miles from his own. Authorities says the state's "stand your ground" law may apply.
An investigation continues into the death of Ronald Westbrook, 72, who was shot in rural, northern Georgia's Lookout Mountain region by Joe Hendrix, 34, around 4 am (EST) Wednesday. Westbrook was likely lost and confused when he rang Hendrix's... (GunPolicy.org)
Real Cost of Youth Gun Deaths in America Unknown Due to Lack of Data
30 November 2013
Washington Post, Editorial
Lobbyists for the National Rifle Association (NRA) have spent considerable time and money to discourage the collection and sharing of information related to guns and gun violence. Keeping the public in the dark about the facts is helpful in advancing an extreme agenda. In particular, the gun lobby has used the under-counting of gun accidents involving children to oppose reasonable policies that could help prevent deaths and injuries caused by the careless handling and... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Syria,Israel,India,Ireland,Togo,Canada,United States,Afghanistan,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Sri Lanka,Germany,Russia
Growing Number of Personalised Firearms to Boost Safety Available
30 November 2013
Economist
To help push Soviet forces out of Afghanistan in the 1980s, America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) gave Afghan fighters shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles (pictured). Accurate and easy-to-use, the Stingers caused grievous losses. But after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the CIA wanted to discourage the use of the leftover missiles. It got hold of some of those circulating on the black market and booby-trapped them, so that anyone who tried to fire one... (GunPolicy.org)
16-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Shoots Himself in India
27 November 2013
Indian Express
A 16-year-old boy died after he accidentally pulled the trigger of a pistol while showing it off to his siblings, police said. The incident was reported from East Delhi's Madhu Vihar area on Monday night.
According to police, the boy had found the 'made in Italy' weapon and was teaching his siblings how to operate it when he accidentally pulled the trigger. He suffered a bullet injury in the neck. Neighbours who heard the gunshot rushed him to the Metro hospital in... (GunPolicy.org)
Japanese Father Arrested After Son Takes Handgun to School
26 November 2013
Japan Today
FUKUOKA — Police have arrested the father of a student after the boy brought a handgun to school in Shime, Fukuoka Prefecture.
According to police, the boy's father, Takaki Wakisaka, a 41-year-old restaurant manager, was questioned about firing several live-ammunition shots from a revolver in a storehouse near his home in the middle of September this year, Fuji TV reported.
After bringing the same gun to school on Nov 20, his son had the firearm confiscated by a... (GunPolicy.org)
Japanese Woman Accidentally Shot by Hunter, Mistaken for Wild Animal
21 November 2013
Japan Today / Yomuiri Online
TOKYO — An 84-year-old woman in the town of Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture, was accidentally shot by a man who was hunting in the area, Yomiuri Online reports.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:50 on Tuesday morning in a woodland area close to the border between Miyazaki Prefecture and neighboring Kumamoto. The wounded woman, believed to be making her way home after buying groceries, was passing through the area in which the 66-year-old farmer was hunting... (GunPolicy.org)
Japanese Man Shot in the Head in Hunting Accident
4 November 2013
Japan Today
SHIZUOKA — A man was shot in a hunting accident in Shizuoka on Sunday. Police said the man was shot while harvesting wild mountain plants in the woods where another man was hunting deer.
TV Asahi reported that the incident took place at around 10:30 a.m. in Nagaizumi-cho. A 73-year-old member of a local hunting club shot off a single round into the woods expecting to hit a deer. Instead, his shot grazed the head of a 63-year-old man, 30 meters away, knocking him... (GunPolicy.org)
More Gun Charges Added to Indictment Against South African Star Athlete
30 October 2013
Washington Post / Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Prosecutors accusing Oscar Pistorius of premeditated murder will add two more charges believed to relate to firing guns in public to the indictment against him, apparently to show another side to the inspiring double-amputee Olympian: Reckless and trigger-happy.
Pistorius now faces charges of murder, illegal possession of ammunition and two other counts of breaking South Africa's firearms laws in his trial in March.
Pistorius' lawyers... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Man Killed After Gun Goes Off Accidentally
23 October 2013
Times of India
PUNE - A 65-year-old man was killed after his licensed 12-bore gun went off accidentally while he was cleaning it at his residence in Bhusari Colony in Kothrud on Tuesday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Rajeev Potnis (65), a resident of Silver Residence, right Bhusari Colony, Paud Road. The Kothrud police have registered a case of accidental death.
Kalyanrao Vidhate, senior inspector of the Kothrud police station, told TOI that the incident took place... (GunPolicy.org)
Zimbabwe Air Force Official Arrested Over Unintentional Shooting
15 October 2013
Herald (Zimbabwe)
An Air Force of Zimbabwe official who accidentally shot a 14-year-old boy after trying to clear a loaded gun he had seized from a Chitungwiza businessman was yesterday remanded in custody.
The wounded boy was shot on the right pelvis with the bullet protruding at the right buttock. He is still admitted to Chitungwiza Central Hospital.
Gerald Gurwe (23), stationed at Manyame Air Base allegedly received information that the businessman, Mr Trust Jasi had taken his uncle... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina Youth Gun Homicides Points to Rising Organized Crime
15 October 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota) / La Nacion
Violent deaths among youth in Argentina are at a ten-year high in a pattern that may point to the rise in organized crime in the country.
In 2011, the most recent full year statistics are available, 794 people aged 15 to 29 were murdered, reported La Nacion; the total figure of 4,935 violent deaths in that age range is the highest since 2003.
The number of intentional homicides could be much higher. As reported by La Nacion, another 1,074 youth deaths were recorded as... (GunPolicy.org)
Creating a Gun-Safe Village in Somalia
14 October 2013
Alert Net / Thompson Reuters, Media release
"Thanks for taking photos in my shop as an example to tell others that we are living in danger," says Yasin Asyayr Gurase.
In his small store in Kalabyr, a village of about 1,500 people 100 kilometres south of Garowe in the Puntland State of Somalia, guns are stacked against shelves filled with shirts and shoes, and AK-47s rest against food products.
These weapons are not for sale. Rather, after a number of recent accidents in the village, they are being left in shops... (GunPolicy.org)
Girl Killed by Grandfather in Turkey as He Cleaned Pistol
13 October 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A young girl was accidentally killed by her grandfather while he was cleaning his pistol in the western province of Bursa on Saturday, adding to a soaring number of similar incidents which are raising the issue of effective gun control amid increasing fatalities.
The recent deadly incident took place in İnegöl, a district of Bursa, at around 9:00 p.m. when Satı Örs, 7, was accidentally shot by her grandfather while he was cleaning his pistol.
To save her father... (GunPolicy.org)
US Firearm Owners Push Their Right to Bear Arms Anywhere, Anytime
11 October 2013
Newsweek (USA)
The weapon he was carrying, an AK-74 assault rifle, measures three feet long, with a barrel of about 16 inches, and is capable of firing several dozen rounds per minute. Brian McCauley says he never meant to scare anyone. The state of Texas disagrees, and his upcoming trial has become a focal point in a dangerous new battle in the national debate over gun laws.
By the time McCauley walked into a San Antonio Starbucks in August, tensions had been building for years. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Three Dead in a Week of Hunting Accidents in France
4 October 2013
Local (France)
A 61-year-old French hunter accidentally killed his own son in a tragic hunting accident this week after mistaking him for a wild boar. With a six-year-old boy also being killed in a separate hunt this week, there will be increased pressure for tougher safety measures to be introduced.
France witnessed two more fatal hunting accidents this week that will no doubt lead to renewed calls for more stringent safety measures to be introduced during the hunting season.
On... (GunPolicy.org)
Namibian Man Accidentally Shoots and Kills Son, Allegedly While Drunk
30 September 2013
New Era (Namibia)
WALVIS BAY — An-eight-year-old boy was reportedly shot and killed by his father on Saturday in Walvis Bay, while he lay sleeping.
The incident occurred early on Saturday morning in Kuisebmund during a house party at the family home. Namibian Police (Nampol) acting Crime Investigations Coordinator in the Erongo Region Inspector Erastus Iikuyu yesterday confirmed the incident during a routine crime briefing. "According to the information we gathered the suspect was... (GunPolicy.org)
Children and Guns: The Hidden Toll of Unintentional Shootings in the US
28 September 2013
New York Times
The .45-caliber pistol that killed Lucas Heagren, 3, on Memorial Day last year at his Ohio home had been temporarily hidden under the couch by his father. But Lucas found it and shot himself through the right eye. "It's bad," his mother told the 911 dispatcher. "It's really bad."
A few days later in Georgia, Cassie Culpepper, 11, was riding in the back of a pickup with her 12-year-old brother and two other children. Her brother started playing with a pistol his father... (GunPolicy.org)
US Navy Yard Shooter Known for Past Gun-Related Issues
17 September 2013
BBC News
A gunman who died after killing 12 people at a naval installation in Washington DC has been identified as a former Navy serviceman.
Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas, died in a gun battle with police during the rampage at Washington Navy Yard.
Eight others were injured in the attack, which began at around 8:20 local time (12:20 GMT) on Monday.
US President Barack Obama ordered flags be lowered to half mast at the White House and on Capitol Hill.
He said he... (GunPolicy.org)
Father Shoots Daughter Dead While Cleaning Gun in Turkey
11 September 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A father shot and killed his daughter while he was cleaning his gun in Zonguldak late on Tuesday, according to reports.
The incident took place in the Tepebaşı neighborhood in Zonguldak. Ayhan Ercan, a father of two, said he accidentally fired his gun while he was putting it on the table after cleaning it. The bullet hit his daughter in the face.
The girl was then rushed to the hospital, where she died despite attempts to save her.
Reports speculated that Ercan... (GunPolicy.org)
Elderly French Hunter Shoots, Injures Two Walkers Mistaken for Bird
6 September 2013
Local (France)
Albert, an 82-year-old hunter, shot two walkers after mistaking them for pheasants, a court in France heard this week. It has been held up as another example by anti-hunting groups, who are calling for a crackdown on the sport to cut the number of accidents.
The 82-year-old man, called Albert, accidentally shot the two walkers when he was out hunting in woods near Bertric-Buréé in the Dordogne department of southern France.
According to regional newspaper Sud-Ouest,... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Pensioner Shoots, Kills Wife in 'Joke Gone Wrong'
4 September 2013
Local (Italy)
A 73-year-old pensioner from Rome shot his wife dead while "playing" with his gun.
The man, who lived with his wife in the capital's Monteverde district, told police he did not realise his .45-caliber revolver was loaded during the "game" that ended in tragedy in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to reports, the man was sitting on the couch holding his gun when his 63-year-old wife asked if he was planning to commit suicide. He is reported to have 'jokedly' said... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Drop in Costa Rica, Authorities Attribute to Tough Laws
28 August 2013
Costa Rica Star
Less guns, more bullets: According to figures recently reported by Ronny Rojas of news daily La Nacion, there is a clear interest among people in Costa Rica in purchasing firearms of higher round (ammunition) capacity. In 2012, gun dealers in Costa Rica imported 4,540 semiautomatic pistols, double the annual rate since 2010. Revolvers, on the other hand, are losing favor; only 367 were imported in 2012, compared to 7,471 in 2007.
Revolvers usually hold up to eight... (GunPolicy.org)
US Eight-Year-Old Allegedly Shot, Killed Carer After Playing Video Game
26 August 2013
Reuters
An 8-year-old boy from rural Louisiana shot and killed his elderly caregiver just minutes after he finished playing a violent video game, police have said.
The child was released to his parents and has not been charged in the shooting on Thursday evening about 100 miles northwest of New Orleans in Slaughter, Louisiana, the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Department said.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting of Marie Smothers remain under investigation, the... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Girl of Seven 'Shoots Friend Dead'
26 August 2013
BBC News
A seven-year-old South African girl has shot dead her friend, aged six, with her grandfather's revolver while playing at a farm, police say.
A murder case has been opened after the dead girl, a daughter of a farm worker, was shot in the face, reports say.
The alleged killer's grandfather has been charged with failure to safeguard a firearm, police added.
South Africa has tight gun ownership regulations but many people still possess firearms.
'Great shock'
The... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Safety Instructor Accidentally Shoots Student
13 August 2013
CNN
Oh the irony. An Ohio man was shot in the arm. At a gun safety class.
Michael Piemonte was attending a concealed-carry class with his wife Alison in central Ohio's Fairfield County over the weekend. Such classes are required for anyone wanting carry a concealed weapon in the state.
There were 29 students in the lecture-type class, Piemonte said. He was sitting in the front row.
While the instructor was demonstrating a self-defense techniques, the gun went off.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Homicides Rise 61% in Brazil Over a Decade [PT]
9 August 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: Between 2000 and 2010, the rate of gun-related homicides in Brazil rose by 61.4% according to a new study. The research also showed the presence of guns in the home increased the risk of suicide or homicide. There was a total of 29,824 gun homicides during that time and gun suicides fell by 37% after 2003, when the Disarmament Statute came into force. Recent gun deaths have raised concerns about guns.]
RIO - Na última década, os casos de... (GunPolicy.org)
Small-Town Cop Refuses to Call Child-on-Child Shooting 'Accidental'
6 August 2013
Slate (USA), Blog
On Sunday afternoon, a 6-year-old Danville, Va., boy was sitting at home when he somehow got hold of a loaded handgun that had been left unattended by its adult owner. He fired the gun, and the bullet went through a wall and hit a 22-month-old girl. The child was taken to a local hospital. She's currently in stable condition.
If you're familiar with my coverage of unintentional child shootings like these, you know that now's the time where I usually chide local law... (GunPolicy.org)
American School Arming Teachers With Concealed Handguns
30 July 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
CLARKSVILLE, Arkansas — When classes at Clarksville High School resume in August assistant principle Cheyne Dougan will be among the more than 20 teachers, administrators and other employees in the school district carrying concealed weapons.
After a school shooting in Connecticut last December that left 20 children and six teachers dead, the idea of arming schoolhouses against gunmen was hotly debated across the country.
The National Rifle Association declared it... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Man Shoots Himself in Foot After Frightened by Mouse
25 July 2013
Local (Italy)
A 43-year-old man's attempt to defend himself against a tiny mouse instead left him with a bullet in his foot.
The man, from Onè di Fonte in Treviso, was so frightened by the rodent scurrying around his house that he reached for his father's rifle to kill it, only ended up shooting himself in the foot instead.
The news website, ArticoloTre, assumed his inexperience at handling a rifle, alongside his fear, made him miss target.
He was later hospitalized for gunshot... (GunPolicy.org)
US Study Says Country Life Riskier Than City Living Due to Guns
23 July 2013
Reuters
Contrary to what many believe, living in the city is far less risky than in the country, according to a study released on Tuesday that takes into account all major forms of death from injuries.
Although homicides in cities far outpace those in rural areas, overall the risk of dying from some form of accident or injury is 20 percent greater in the most rural counties of the United States than in the nation's biggest cities.
The findings may give pause to people tempted... (GunPolicy.org)
Hopes for Mandatory Insurance Law in US to Raise Cost of Gun Ownership
18 July 2013
Guardian (UK), Blog
When employees of American Family Insurance discovered earlier this year that Susie Salazar of Greeley, Colorado owned a pit bull, they did what company rules dictated: they cancelled her homeowner's policy. After all, they had done the same thing last year to Nebraska sheriff's deputy Andy Woodward, after they found out his police dog, a Belgian Malinois named Diezel, lived as his family pet when he wasn't on the job.
When it comes to dogs, American Family Insurance... (GunPolicy.org)
Off-Duty Namibian Cop Arrested for Murder After Cousin Shot
11 July 2013
Namibian (Windhoek)
A policeman was arrested at the north western town of Khorixas yesterday afternoon after he allegedly shot his cousin in the chest while they were wrestling for the gun in early hours of Tuesday.
The 33-year-old cousin died instantly.
According to police spokesperson Edwin Kanguatjivi the firearm belonged to the police force but could not say whether the officer was on duty.
"I doubt he was on duty when the accident happened, the report does not say that."
The name... (GunPolicy.org)
Six Year Old Shoots Sister to Death in Ghana with Unregistered Handgun
10 July 2013
Ghanaian Chronicle
Residents of Bediase, a farming community in Kukrantumi in the East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region on Monday, were thrown into a state of mourning when a six (6) year old boy, Kwabena Kamasah, shot his sister, Adzo Dzukor, to death with an unregistered single barrel gun.
According to information reaching The Chronicle, young Adzo, 8, met her untimely death on her sick bed after the brother shot her with the revolver, which was placed at one of the corners of... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Killing Children: An American Epidemic
6 July 2013
New York Daily News
The man breathed heavily and yelled at the 911 dispatcher as he pleaded for help.
"My boy just got shot, don't wait!" Travis Taylor bellowed into the telephone. "Hurry up, please don't wait, NO! Please hurry up, he's trying to live!"
But it was too late.
There was nothing medics could do for little Dalton Taylor, 10. He was a fourth-grader who loved to hunt. His dad — who made that frantic 911 call — was his hero.
Dalton and some young friends found the 12-gauge... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Tragic Deaths Demand Stricter Gun Control in China
27 June 2013
Global Times (China), Opinion
Shanghai witnessed an unlucky and uneasy week with a chemical plant explosion injuring six on Monday, the latest H7N9 bird flu death on Wednesday and a stampede at Tongji University when David Beckham paid a visit there last Thursday. But none of these incidents were as shocking as the Saturday night gun shooting spree in suburban Baoshan district, which claimed six lives in total.
Although we hear of shooting rampages in the US from time to time, where gun control is... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican State Launches 2013 Gun Buyback Scheme after 2012 Success
19 June 2013
News (Mexico)
The Department of Public Safety began their 2013 Gun Buyback Campaign on Monday in four Sonora municipalities. Food vouchers were offered in exchange for guns. Public Safety chief Sergio Encinas Meléndrez said that the campaign will remove guns from Sonora homes and avoid fatal accidents.
During the 2012 buyback, the state government offered a maximum of 1000 pesos ($78) per gun and collected a total of 1,247 firearms. This year, the amount increases to 2,500 pesos... (GunPolicy.org)
US Officials 'Hamstrung' by Lack of Gun Data
17 June 2013
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
How do criminals get their guns? Are there observable patterns to gun crime? Who is at the greatest risk of injury, or causing injury to others, from firearm use? Which gun-safety practices are most effective at preventing accidental injury?
The answers to these and other basic questions remain difficult and obscure in part thanks to a senseless ban, on the books for a decade, that limits research on gun violence and denies researchers and even police and prosecutors... (GunPolicy.org)
Palestinian Judge Killed Accidentally While Cleaning Gun
9 June 2013
Xinhua
GAZA - A Hamas military judge was killed while cleaning a gun at his office in Gaza City, the Hamas health ministry said Sunday.
A bullet was fired from the pistol and ended up in judge Ayman Emad Al-Deen's head, said Ashraf Al-Qedra, a spokesperson of the ministry.
Police spokesperson Ayyoub Abu Sha'ar said that an investigation was underway.
The judge, part of the Hamas military judiciary, was in the panel in charge of several tribunals that handed down death... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Researcher Turns to Crowd-Funding
30 May 2013
Nature (USA)
Economist Bisakha Sen wants to study how US states' gun laws and gun cultures correlate with certain crimes and with firearms deaths in each state — and whether differing laws and cultures in neighboring states "spill over" to influence a state's statistics.
But although President Barack Obama ordered the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommence gun research in the wake of last December's massacre of 20 schoolchildren and 6 adults in Newtown,... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish Soldier Dies in Gun Prank Accident
20 May 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
A soldier was killed when a fellow soldier accidentally shot him during a prank in Mardin's Midyat district on Sunday, according to Turkish media reports.
Private E.Y. was reportedly killed when his friend Pvt. M.S. accidentally shot him while both were on guard duty in Cevat Paşa Barracks in Midyat.
E.Y.'s body was taken to Midyat State Hospital's morgue and an investigation has been started to look into the incident. M.S. was hospitalized after he suffered from a... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian Boy Unintentionally Kills Brother with Unregistered Gun
12 May 2013
Reuters
A 7-year-old Russian boy told investigators he had shot and killed his 4-year-old brother by accident with their grandfather's rifle on Sunday, law enforcement authorities said.
The boy said he and his brother had found the gun under a bed in their grandparents' house in the Siberian town of Bukachacha and were playing with it on the porch while the adults slept, the federal Investigative Committee said.
The boy said he accidentally pulled the trigger while trying to... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Why Real Guns That Look Like Toys Should be Banned
9 May 2013
Washington Post, Opinion
CHICAGO — Two summers ago, my husband and I took our sons to a shooting range for multiple days of firearms training with a certified instructor. Our logic was simple: In our low-income community with lots of gang activity, it was laughable to imagine that our boys wouldn't someday find themselves in a situation where a pal had brought a gun to school or asked them to come see his parents' gun.
Did we want them to clumsily handle a deadly weapon — seduced by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Scottish Man Dies After Being Accidentally Shot in Car
9 May 2013
Daily Record (Scotland)
A young dad bled to death after an accidental shooting on his family farm.
Adam Hepburn, 22, was in his Land Rover with another man when a rifle went off.
A high-velocity bullet passed through the father-of-one's left thigh, leaving him writhing in agony.
The other man in the Freelander 4x4 dialled 999 and rushed Adam on a 10-mile trip to Hawick Cottage Hospital, which does not have an accident and emergency department.
An ambulance raced to the hospital, where... (GunPolicy.org)
US Girl's Death by Gunshot is Rejected as Symbol
5 May 2013
New York Times
BURKESVILLE, Kentucky — Last Monday, Kristian Sparks and his sister, Caroline, visited a Fred's Super Dollar store here. A store manager recalled that it was an ordinary shopping trip, saying that the boy was outgoing and energetic, his little sister was cute and their grandmother was "like any grandmother — she bought them anything they wanted."
The next day Kristian, 5, shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a gun marketed for children as "My First Rifle" in... (GunPolicy.org)
Five-Year-Old US Boy Accidentally Kills Sister With His Own Rifle
1 May 2013
Reuters
A 2-year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed by her 5-year-old brother with a rifle he received as a birthday gift, Kentucky authorities said on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Burkesville, Kentucky, a community in the south-central part of the state, when the boy was playing with the .22-caliber rifle and accidentally shot his sister in the chest, state police said.
The boy had received the Crickett "youth model" gun for his birthday in... (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)
Banned Gun Owner Accidentally Kills Self in Austria with Illegal Handgun
24 April 2013
Croatian Times
An Austrian man banned from owning a gun after police ruled that he was not mature enough accidentally shot himself in the head after buying an illegal handgun in his local pub.
38-year-old Walter Mainz proved that police had a point when he took the gun out to show his pals at his home in Löffelbach, Austria, and then removed the magazine believing this meant that the gun was unloaded.
But he didn't realise that one bullet was still inside the gun, and when he put... (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)
Public Health Approach Promises Gun Violence Prevention - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promising Path to Reducing Gun Violence - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbia,Montenegro,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Kosovo,Slovenia,Croatia,Macedonia,United States,England & Wales,Yemen
Citizens in Former Yugoslavia 'Traumatised and Heavily Armed'
10 April 2013
Washington Post
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The wars from 1991 to 1999 as Yugoslavia broke up took up to 200,000 lives, turned millions into refugees and left much of the region's people traumatized and heavily armed. It was the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The millions of weapons that remained in possession of civilians after the fighting have caused fatalities every week, as traumatized former soldiers either shoot family members or commit suicide or... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Lobby Group Plans Giving Guns to Homeowners to Fight Crime
7 April 2013
DePaulia (USA)
The nonprofit organization known as the Armed Citizen Project recently announced its plans to start a gun giveaway in Tucson, Ariz., that would function as a crime-fighting measure.
Fighting guns with guns? It's a novel idea. Undoubtedly, this will create a world of controversy, especially in a city such as Tucson, which was the site of the shooting of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the mass killing of six other people in 2011.
Yet the measure, which is... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Research Proves Guns in Homes are Health Hazard
25 March 2013
New York Daily News
According to a poll released this month by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of American gun owners report that their main reason for having a gun is protection; fewer than a third own a gun primarily for hunting. This is a striking change from 1999, when nearly half of gun owners kept firearms mainly for hunting and only about one quarter cited protection as their most important reason.
Pew's results might make sense if violent crime were surging. But it's not.... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns and Family Violence: How Many Tragedies Does It Take?
25 March 2013
al Jazeera, Opinion
On December 1, 2012, NFL linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins. He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and then shot and killed himself in front of his two coaches and the general manager of his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 14, 2013, South African track star Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door of his home. Two well-known athletes, two horrifying acts. While we don't know... (GunPolicy.org)
Child-Proof Medicine Bottles Save Lives. So Could Child-Proof Guns
22 March 2013
New York Times, Opinion
For nearly two months, my assistant, Jennifer Mascia, and I have been publishing a daily blog in which we aggregate articles about shootings from the previous day. Of all the stories we link to, the ones I find hardest to read are those about young children who accidentally shoot themselves or another child. They just break my heart. Yet Jennifer and I find new examples almost every day.
Partly, I react by thinking, "How can anyone be so stupid as to leave a loaded gun... (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
The Need for Improved Firearms Control in South Africa - Analysis
11 March 2013
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
In his affidavit before the court, South African 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius stated that he kept a 9mm pistol underneath his bed because he was scared of criminals.
Following the events in the early hours of 14 February 2013 that saw him fatally shoot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he now faces charges of murder. This is not the first such case. In 2009 Johannesburg homeowner Warren Voster accidentally killed his domestic worker's 12-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
More Gun Laws May Be Linked to Lower Rates of US Gun Fatalities: Study
6 March 2013
Journal of the American Medical Association
METHOD
Importance - Over 30 000 people die annually in the United States from injuries caused by firearms. Although most firearm laws are enacted by states, whether the laws are associated with rates of firearm deaths is uncertain.
Objective - To evaluate whether more firearm laws in a state are associated with fewer firearm fatalities.
Design - Using an ecological and cross-sectional method, we retrospectively analyzed all firearm-related deaths reported to the... (GunPolicy.org)
American Doctors Beg Govt to be Able to Do Gun Research
28 February 2013
NBC News (USA)
Dr. William Begg wiped away tears as he pleaded with Congress on Wednesday to help rescind laws that limit medical research into gun deaths and that restrict doctors from asking patients about guns in their homes.
Begg's testimony highlighted a growing battle between some doctors and some gun advocates over whether federal health dollars should be spent on research into gun violence, and on whether doctors should counsel their patients about gun safety.
Medical groups... (GunPolicy.org)
German Teen in Court After Taking Gun to School to Impress
21 February 2013
Local (Germany)
A 15-year-old German boy who became embroiled in a tense armed stand-off with police after taking guns into his school has been sentenced to four and a half years in youth custody.
The boy, then 14, who was not named, was in a fragile state after splitting up with his girlfriend in May and took the weapons in to his classroom.
He did not go with the intention of creating a bloodbath, ruled the regional court in Memmingen, southern Germany, but rather of impressing his... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Athlete Case Shows Risk of Having Guns at Home
18 February 2013
Guardian (UK)
There is a rule in screenwriting that if you introduce a gun into a scene, at some point you must use it. The rule applies to real life too. That's how Reeva Steenkamp lost her life. A gun appeared in her story, and she got shot dead. Regardless of the circumstances, when guns are near people, they kill people.
I know the gun fraternity will say that it was Oscar Pistorius who pulled the trigger, and not the rest of the gun community out there. But that's what... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Gun Culture in Spotlight After Athlete's Murder Charge
14 February 2013
Telegraph (UK), Video
About one citizen in every 20 owns a registered firearm and millions more weapons circulate illegally. The gnawing fear of violent crime is such that most houses are surrounded by walls and barbed wire, often electrified to deter intruders.
The wealthier neighbourhoods of Pretoria and Johannesburg are patrolled by armed guards from private security firms, who can be summoned at the touch of a panic button.
Even so, many people opt to live – like Oscar Pistorius –... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder-Accused South African Athlete 'Enjoys' Target Shooting
14 February 2013
Guardian (UK), Video
Oscar Pistorius the Paralympic star and inspiration to millions around the world, was contemplating his future from a police cell on Thursday night after being charged with murdering his girlfriend.
In a drama that stunned South Africa and admirers abroad, Pistorius allegedly fired four bullets into Reeva Steenkamp's head, chest and arm at his home in the capital, Pretoria, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The life of the glamorous athlete, known as the Blade... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Estonia,Finland,Colombia,South Africa,Sudan,Western Europe
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysian Journalist Dies in Lebanon Gun Accident
4 February 2013
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian journalist was killed in a firearm accident in Lebanon on Saturday.
Claudia Theophilus, 42, who worked as a web producer with Al-Jazeera English news agency, died after a rifle - which she was looking at, went off accidentally about 2.30am (8.30am Malaysian time).
The incident happened in Baakleen - 45km from Beirut.
Malaysian ambassador to Lebanon Ilango Karuppannan said Theophilus died shortly after she arrived at a general hospital in... (GunPolicy.org)
Fact-Check: Dispelling Pro-Gun Myths in America
31 January 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby's favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They're coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it's clear there's no practical way... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica to Tighten Gun Control, as Gun Crime Rises
25 January 2013
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Two years ago, 32 women, 48 children and 172 men were killed by firearms in Costa Rica.
Those statistics glow from backlit posters on Avenida Escazú, southwest of the capital, and overlook highways in Curridabat, east of the city, emblazoned on giant billboards.
"The goal is to inform people that firearms in general have a negative effect," said Randal Arias, director of the governance and justice program at Costa Rica's Peace and Democracy Foundation and manager of... (GunPolicy.org)
5 People Shot at 3 Different Gun Shows on US Gun Appreciation Day
19 January 2013
Think Progress
If the gun advocates behind this year's inaugural Gun Appreciation Day had hoped to use the day's festivities to build support for their anti-regulation platform, they are going to have to wait another year.
Emergency personnel had to be called to the scene of the Dixie Gun and Knife Show in Raleigh, North Carolina after a gun accidentally discharged and shot two people at the show's safety check-in booth just after 1 pm. Both victims were transported to an area... (GunPolicy.org)
Claim: More Have Died From Domestic Gunfire than All Wars in US History
18 January 2013
PolitiFact (USA)
Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., supporters and opponents of gun control have thrown out statistics to support their point of view.
Here's one that caught our eye, offered by liberal commentator Mark Shields on the Dec. 21, 2012, edition of the PBS NewsHour.
Shields told host Judy Woodruff, "You know, Judy, the reality is - and it's a terrible reality - since Robert Kennedy died in the Ambassador Hotel on June 4, 1968, more... (GunPolicy.org)
Iceland: Plenty of Guns, But Hardly Any Violence
17 January 2013
International Business Times (USA)
The tragic shooting deaths of 26 people, including 20 small children, at an elementary school in Connecticut last year has cast a harsh glare on U.S. gun laws and the political power and influence of the National Rifle Association.
Even a political leader in Iceland, a tiny island country of only about 320,000 souls near the Arctic Ocean, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding America's obsession with guns.
According to the Reykjavik Grapevine newspaper,... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraqis Celebrate Soccer Win with Fatal Gunfire, Authorities Blame Culture
17 January 2013
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Prague), Blog
Iraq's soccer team sparked widespread jubilation across the country on January 15 when Ahmad Khalil's last-gasp goal gave them victory over Bahrain in the semifinals of the Gulf Cup.
Now only the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) stands between "The Lions of Mesopotamia" and their first major international trophy since they surprised the world by winning the Asian Cup in 2007.
In a proud soccer country that has long been starved of success, it's no surprise that many... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Death Rate Falls After Gun Buyback, Law Change Says MP
15 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Since the 1997 gun buyback, your chance of being a victim of gun violence has more than halved. Yet as Monday's Herald pointed out, the number of guns in Australia has increased by nearly one-fifth over the same period. What's going on?
The simplest answer is that the population is a fifth larger than it was in 1997. In reality, Australia has about as many guns per person as we did after the gun buyback. The only way to conclude the gun buyback has been undone is to... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Teen Dies in Airgun Shooting, Lobby Says No Law Change Needed
14 January 2013
Radio New Zealand
A post-mortem has revealed an 18-year-old killed in an airgun accident in Auckland was shot through the heart.
Shaun Townsley was fatally shot while he and a group of friends were drinking and firing air rifles and air pistols at cans at his home in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa on Saturday evening.
Police say the shooting appeared to be accidental but an investigation is looking at whether charges relating to careless or dangerous use of a firearm should be... (GunPolicy.org)
Curbing Gun Violence in America: Lessons from Public Health Successes
7 January 2013
Journal of the American Medical Association
The tragic slaughter of innocents in Newtown, Connecticut, has horrified and refocused the nation on the burden of gun violence. Each year in the United States, more than 30 000 individuals are killed by guns (homicides, suicides, and unintentional fatalities) — 85 deaths per day plus many hundreds of nonfatal injuries. Gun homicide alone causes 11,000 deaths each year, more than all US troops killed throughout the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. Remarkably, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsecured Antique Gun Kills Brazilian Teen in Accidental Shooting
4 January 2013
Telegraph (UK)
A Brazilian teenager died after an antique shotgun which had been hidden for years fell to the floor and went off as he was cleaning his room.
Helciane Pereira da Silva, 14, was shot in the stomach by the gun, which is believed had been placed in a gap near the ceiling of the boy's room by a previous owner.
Police in Monteiropolis, in Brazil's northeastern state of Alagoas, said the teenager had been rearranging his room at the time of the accident and had probably... (GunPolicy.org)
9 US States Gave Millions in Tax Breaks to Support Assault Rifle Makers
2 January 2013
Pine Tree Watchdog (Maine)
Taxpayers across the country are subsidizing the manufacturers of assault rifles used in multiple mass killings, including the massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. last month.
A Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting examination of tax records shows that five companies that make semi-automatic rifles have received more than $19 million in tax breaks, most within with the past five years.
"I feel horrified at the power of... (GunPolicy.org)
Stop the Gun Madness in the US - Opinion
1 January 2013
Washington Post, Opinion
Guns do kill people. Our national New Year's resolution must be to stop the madness.
It is shameful that gun control only becomes worthy of public debate following an unspeakable massacre such as Newtown — and even more shameful that these mass killings occur so often. What usually happens is that we spend a few weeks pretending to have a "conversation" about guns, then the horror begins to fade and we turn to other issues. Everything goes back to normal.
"Normal,"... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Deaths Projected to Top Car Fatalities by 2015
20 December 2012
Independent (UK) / Bloomberg (USA)
Guns and cars have long been among the leading causes of non-medical deaths in the U.S. By 2015, firearm fatalities will probably exceed traffic fatalities for the first time, based on data compiled by Bloomberg.
While motor-vehicle deaths dropped 22 percent from 2005 to 2010, gun fatalities are rising again after a low point in 2000, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shooting deaths in 2015 will probably rise to almost 33,000,... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Growing Gun Culture, 40 Million Firearms 'A Concern'
20 December 2012
Gulf News (Dubai)
At about noon on November 17, Ponty Chadha, 55, a shady liquor baron, was gunned down outside his family farmhouse near New Delhi — by his brother, Hardeep Chadha, who was in turn was killed by the billionaire's guards. The feud centred on a property dispute. Things came to a head after Ponty asked his guards to deface the farmhouse board carrying Hardeep's name. When the younger brother got wind of this, he rushed to the spot and opened fire. Fifteen slugs were... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Debates Relaxing Gun Laws for Civilians as Crime Rate Escalates
4 November 2012
Leadership (Abuja), Opinion
The rising case of insecurity in the country has given room for many debates, one of which included the creation of state police to tackle the spate of general insecurity in the country. However, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) added a new twist to the whole debate when it recently called the Federal Government to consider the relaxation of gun ownership laws as a way to reduce crime. In other words, he wanted more private citizens to have access to guns. Michael... (GunPolicy.org)
8-Year-Old Samoan Boy Accidentally Shoots, Kills 5-Year-Old Cousin
29 October 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
The Kiwi father of a 5-year-old boy shot dead by his 8-year-old cousin has flown to Samoa to be with the child's body.
James May was visiting the village of Samamea, 44km from the capital Apia, with his family when he, his cousin and uncle went into the woods to shoot pigeons and collect coconuts on Wednesday, Samoa's Weekend Observer reported.
James was shot in the face and killed.
The shooting happened when the uncle reportedly put the loaded gun down briefly while... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia Gets Tough on Celebratory Gunfire at Weddings
28 October 2012
Daily Beast (Russia)
A caravan of cars with tinted windows and streaming ribbons stretches along the highway. Drum music accompanies the proud procession; gun-shot salutes ring out, calling neighbors to join the happy event. Guests gather outside in the courtyards of apartment buildings to clap, fire off more guns, and cheer. Couples perform the Lezginka, the traditional dance of the region.
This is a typical scene for a wedding in the North Caucasus, and for many years, one rarely seen... (GunPolicy.org)
Hong Kong Prison Officer Jailed for Cache of Unlicensed Weapons, Ammo
27 October 2012
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
The city's firearms licensing system is being reviewed after a horde of guns, silencers, grenades and almost 4,000 rounds of ammunition were discovered at a retired prison officer's flat.
The Court of First Instance was told of the review as the former guard was jailed for 18 months yesterday.
Leung Kwok-chi's arsenal was discovered after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh while cleaning a rifle in his public housing flat on the Fu Cheong Estate in Sham Shui... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Criminals Shun Craft Guns for More Expensive Modern Pistols
23 October 2012
Gulf News (Dubai) / Indo-Asian News Service (India)
NEW DELHI - A bank van was recently robbed of Rs52.5 billion (Dh3.58 billion) and its guard shot dead. The disturbing use of a weapon in the crime indicates the growing use of modern firearms by criminals in Delhi.
Be it robbery or murder, more and more criminals in the capital are opting for guns in particular, for a better strike rate and efficiency. Gone is the infamous 'katta' (home-made firearm), according to Delhi Police data.
The gun's steep price is clearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gulf News (Dubai) / Indo-Asian News Service (India)
US Pediatricians Want Tough Gun Laws to Prevent Kids Dying at Home
18 October 2012
Reuters
Pediatricians Thursday called for the strictest possible regulation of gun sales, as well as more education for parents on the dangers of having a gun at home, to prevent deaths of kids and teens.
In a policy statement published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers representing the American Academy of Pediatrics said the number of gun-related deaths in youth has dropped nationally since the mid-1990s, but is still many times higher than rates in other wealthy... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Rail Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Own Foot
17 October 2012
Local (Switzerland)
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) police only started carrying guns three months ago but already an officer has hurt himself with a firearm.
The SBB said one of its security officers accidentally shot himself in the foot with a handgun early on Wednesday while at the transport police service premises in Bern.
The bullet pierced the man's left heel, the state-owned rail company said in a news release.
The officer was taken to hospital, where his condition was "good under... (GunPolicy.org)
Teen Accidentally Shot Dead by Brother in France
16 October 2012
Local (France)
A teenage boy has died after his brother accidentally shot him in the head with a handgun in the town of Metz, north east France.
The police were called out to a fourth-floor family apartment in the town just after midnight last night, newspaper Le Parisien reports.
A 17-year-old boy was found shot in the living room, but his brother was missing.
It is thought the boys stayed up late after the rest of their family had gone to bed, and were playing with a 9mm... (GunPolicy.org)
Samoa Considers Gun Amnesty After Recent Shooting Deaths
15 October 2012
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Samoa's Ministry of Police is considering calling a gun amnesty following concerns over the increasing number of unlicensed and illegal firearms in the community.
The assistant police commissioner, Leaupepe Fatu Pula, says it's not only the public who are worried but police officers have also raised their concerns.
He says guns were found at a recent police drug raid, and a gun was used recently to kill a local taxi driver.
He also says police are investigating the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Finds Firearms-Related Crime Costs Canada $3.1b a Year
14 October 2012
CBC News (Canada) / The Canadian Press
Crimes involving guns cost Canadians more than $3 billion a year, suggests an internal Justice Department study that may stoke the gun-control debate.
The newly released report examined all firearm-related crime in 2008, and calculated costs across a broad range, including the value of policing and prosecuting offenders, lost income and even burial fees for victims.
The total came to $3.1 billion, or about $93 for every person in the country, says the study, completed... (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)
French Hunter Loses Hand After Dog Fires Shotgun
17 September 2012
BBC News
A leaping dog inadvertently shot his master in the hand by catching the trigger of his shotgun during a hunt in the Dordogne, south-western France.
The shot blew off part of the huntsman's right hand, which he had to have amputated after being flown to hospital in Bordeaux.
But the victim, whose name was given as Rene, said he had only himself to blame for not applying the safety catch.
"It wasn't the dog's fault - and he's adorable!" he told France Bleu radio.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Libyan Civilians at Risk from Guns, Mines Left After Conflict
14 September 2012
Inter Press Service News Agency
TRIPOLI - The revolution might officially be over in Libya but the ground war continues. But one enemy is motionless and often hidden, and Libyans are continuing to pay the price with hundreds maimed and killed.
"While the guns may have stopped, landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and discarded or poorly-stored ammunition continue to pose a serious risk to life and limb of the civilian population and to hold potentially serious implications for international... (GunPolicy.org)
Daytime Shootings On the Rise in Sweden, Police Say People at Risk
10 September 2012
Local (Sweden)
Criminals in Sweden are becoming more prone to firing gunshots in broad daylight, according to a new study, increasingly putting innocent passersby in harm's way.
Gunfire in Sweden is no longer a phenomenon restricted to out of the way alleys in the cover of darkness.
To an ever greater extent, Swedish criminals are opening fire in the middle of the day and in places where there is an increased risk of innocent bystanders getting caught in the crossfire.
On Sunday... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland MP Calls for Law Review After Two Children Shot Dead
29 August 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen (Christ. Dem.) called for tighter legislation on gun safety on Sunday.
She voiced her views to Helsingin Sanomat after two shocking incidents at the weekend in the North Savo region, in which two children were killed by accidental gunfire.
The first tragedy took place on Friday night when two brothers, aged five and eight, found a gun in their house.
The loaded firearm went off and hit the five-year-old in the head. He... (GunPolicy.org)
Drunken Russian Cop Kills Colleague While Shooting Bottles
28 August 2012
Moscow Times
A drunken cop accidentally killed a colleague while out shooting bottles near a Chelyabinsk region railroad, Urals transportation investigators said Monday.
According to investigators, the 25-year-old policeman killed his 30-year-old colleague in February after inadvertently firing at him while passing him a rifle by the Nyazepetrovsk-Uraim railroad.
The rifle, which the pair were using for target practice, was pointed at the head of the colleague at the time.
The... (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)
Oman,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,Kuwait
Friend Kills Groom at Kuwait Wedding with Celebratory Gunfire
22 August 2012
National (Abu Dhabi)
KUWAIT CITY - A Kuwaiti groom was killed on his wedding day after his friend accidentally shot him.
The friend, who surrendered to police, shot Abdullah Al Khaldi, 24, inside a car that was taking the wedding party to the marriage celebration.
Mr Khaldi, who worked for the ministry of defence, died before reaching hospital.
The incident, in Al Jahra neighbourhood of Kuwait City, has reignited a debate about civilian possession of firearms, which is legal in... (GunPolicy.org)