Guns
As Firearm Ownership Rises, Florida Gun Murders Increasing
“Murders by firearms have increased dramatically in the state since 2000, when there were 499 gun murders, according to data from Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Gun murders have since climbed 38 percent — with 691 murders committed with guns in 2011,” according to an investigation by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting.
Read MoreBotched ATF sting in Milwaukee ensnares brain-damaged man
“ATF agents running an undercover storefront in Milwaukee used a brain-damaged man with a low IQ to set up gun and drug deals, paying him in cigarettes, merchandise and money, according to federal documents obtained by the Journal Sentinel.” Read the Journal Sentinel’s full investigation here.
Read MoreLeads in ATF sting gone wrong end in dead ends
In a follow up to their investigation on an ATF sting gone wrong, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has found that all leads on the stolen, government-owned Colt M4 have ended in dead ends. “And despite a newly filed search warrant detailing a text message that may link one of the original suspects to the theft,…
Read MorePenalties and prosecution light as illegal gun market thrives in Minnesota
Over the last decade, federal prosecutors pursued only eight domestic gun-trafficking cases in Minnesota, according to court records examined by the Star Tribune. Federal law enforcement officials say their limited presence in the state and significant constraints in federal law present serious obstacles to cracking down on illegal gun trafficking. Minnesota U.S. Attorney B. Todd…
Read MoreStory of stolen semi-automatic reveals shadowy circulation of handguns
The Star Tribune tells the story of how one cheap semi-automatic handgun was stolen, and then used in three violent crimes in Minneapolis. The long and shadowy circulation of handguns like the Hi-Point often confounds police and can elude gun control laws.
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: A ruling’s tainted legacy, a botched signature and corporate catch shares
The New York TimesRuled a Threat to Family, but Allowed to Keep Guns“Advocates for domestic violence victims have long called for stricter laws governing firearms and protective orders. Their argument is rooted in a grim statistic: when women die at the hand of an intimate partner, that hand is more often than not holding a…
Read MoreFederal government quietly scaling back once-heralded ballistics network
An investigation by KING TV in Seattle reveals the federal government has been quietly scaling back a nationwide ballistics network that was once heralded as a high-tech tool to fight gun crime. The television station’s Trail of the Gun investigations previously uncovered thousands of “crime guns” in Washington State that were not subjected to routine…
Read MoreAppeals of denied permits get guns into questionable hands
“Since 2003, at least 299 people deemed too dangerous or otherwise unfit for a gun-carry permit were able to obtain them on appeal to the sheriff or a judge, a Star Tribune analysis shows.” Read the investigation here.
Read MoreWashington police departments sold seized firearms
In its continuing series of investigative reports on gun crimes, Seattle’s KING TV found that police departments have not only been taking firearms off the streets with gun buyback events – some departments have been putting more firearms into circulation.
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Crime inside NFL stadiums, Boeing supply chain outsourced, NRA freebies
The Sacramento BeeGuns rule street in west Lemon Hill neighborhood“Between January 2007 and November 2012, no other similarly sized area in Sacramento County had more reports of two categories of gun crimes: assault with a firearm and shooting into an occupied dwelling or vehicle.” The Denver PostDenver’s 911 call review shows a pattern of problemsIn…
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