MANILA — A bullet fired carelessly into the air on New Year's Eve found its mark in the head of a six-year-old girl in Bacoor, Cavite. The bullet lodged in the skull of Melody Medina, who is now fighting for her life at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Her mother Lea was shocked to learn that despite her warnings to her six children against using firecrackers, Melody found herself in the list of the growing number of people victimized by trigger-happy... (GunPolicy.org)

New Jersey could soon become the fourth state to limit handgun purchases to one a month, a move aimed at fighting "straw" gun buyers who purchase weapons legally and pass them to criminals. The plan, backed by officials in Camden, Newark, Jersey City and other cities, follows calls from urban leaders across the nation, including Philadelphia, to crack down on gun trafficking that they say fuels violence. There is much debate over whether such laws work, however, and... (GunPolicy.org)

WEST MILFORD, New Jersey — A West Milford man has been charged with reckless manslaughter after fatally shooting his wife with a pellet gun. Police say it looks like a "freak accident." Authorities say Frank McDonald used the pellet gun to shoot squirrels in his yard. He called police around 10 a.m. Saturday after his 44-year-old wife, Cheryl, was hit by a pellet. She later died from the wound. Frank McDonald is being held on bail of $150,000. If he's... (GunPolicy.org)

PORTLAND, Oregon — Police arrested a Portland man accused of accidentally shooting his neighbor Sunday. The Portland Police Bureau says 45-year-old Alvert O'Neal Jr. threw a handgun on his bed and it discharged, sending a bullet through an apartment wall and into the shoulder of his sleeping neighbor. The 46-year-old woman was treated Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Her name is being withheld until Monday. O'Neal has been charged with assault and reckless... (GunPolicy.org)

AUSTIN — Texas legislators can't help themselves. Even before their upcoming session hits its stride, they will do something to get national attention, the kind that makes TV hosts snicker and roll their eyes. A surefire attention-getter this session will be an anticipated bill to let Texans openly pack pistols on their hips, in their belts or elsewhere in public view as they go about their business. Although many other states apparently already allow the practice,... (GunPolicy.org)

Sierra Vista, Arizona — A 12-year-old boy who fatally shot his mother after an argument over his chores was found guilty of premeditated murder. Judge James Conlogue found the boy guilty after a hearing Friday in Cochise County Superior Court in the southern Arizona town of Bisbee. The boy is not being identified because he was charged as a juvenile. Conlogue ruled that prosecutors had proved the boy acted intentionally and with premeditation when he shot Sara... (GunPolicy.org)