Norway Shooter Used Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines: Purchased from U.S.

Anders Behring Breivik, the man allegedly responsible for killing 68 people in Norway l, many of whom were teenagers, claims he purchased the ammunition from the United States. Read more

For the NRA, It's All About Fear

Dennis Henigan, Brady Center, For the NRA, It's All About Fear, examines how the NRA continually pushes fear of imminent violent attack, fear of crime, fear of the government, and fear of gun prohibition to their members and the media. Read more

The Limits of the Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court decision Monday on the McDonald v Chicago case held that the Second Amendment right, as determined in the controversial 2008 decision in D.C. v Heller, for individuals to keep and bear arms for self defense extends to the states and not just to the Federal Government. Because Washington, D.C. is a federal district, Heller did not resolve the issue of whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments. Now, with the McDonald decision, the Court has fully applied the incorporation clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to this Second Amendment right, meaning that the right to bear arms applies not only to the Federal Government but to the states as well. The ruling remands Chicago's handgun ban back to the 7th Circuit Court for further review. There is little doubt that the city's handgun ban will be struck down as a result of the Court's decision.

The ruling has led to a great deal of discussion as to what other state and local gun laws might be overturned. The answer is not many. Read More

Strong Gun Laws and Low Gun Ownership Equal Low Firearm Deaths
By Ron Pinciaro, CAGV Co-Executive Director

We've all heard the talking points from the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups that more guns are the answer to the horrors of gun violence we've faced as a nation. More guns on campus, arming teachers, more guns in the homes for protection…these have always been the response we get to the persistent rate of gun deaths in the United States. Read more

We feel deeply for the friends and families of the victims. But as a society we have come to accept these shootings almost as a normal course of events. Instead, we should be asking ourselves, "Is this the culture we want?" Read More

Taking a Stand: Reducing Gun Violence in Our Communities
September 19, 2007 -- Last April, law enforcement leaders from across the Midwest gathered in Chicago for the first-ever Great Lakes Summit on Firearm Violence. Armed with first-hand accounts of the devastation guns have wreaked on their communities and their police officers, law enforcement leaders, elected officials, healthcare professionals, and others are working to turn the tide on gun violence. Today the International Association of Chiefs of Police will released recommendations and an action plan to help curb gun violence and provide for the safety of law enforcement officials and their communities. Some recommendations will be implemented immediately, and others will necessitate changes in policies and procedures. Click here to read the report.

Number of Connecticut Gun Dealers Drops 87% Since 1994
August 15, 2007--The number of gun dealers in America has dropped by 194,998 since 1994 according to a new study released today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The study found that the number of Type 1 Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) plummeted 79 percent: from 245,628 in 1994 to 50,630 in 2007. Click here to learn more.

Children's Defense Fund Releases - Annual Gun Violence Report
Protect Children, Not Guns 2007 provides staggering statistics on the cost of gun violence in America today. CDF offers its annual analysis of the latest data on child and teen gun deaths from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and action steps we all can take to stop the killing of children and teens.

On Wednesday, September 12, 2006, Kevin Borrup of the Violence Prevention Program at Connecticut Children's Medical Center presented a report on the Connecticut Violent Injury Statistics System. (CVISS). CVISS is an information system containing specific data on violent deaths (homicide and suicide) for persons of all ages. The report shows trends and comparisons across age, gender, race, ethnicity, and location for homicide and suicide deaths in 2004.

Highlights of the data include:

• There were nearly three times as many suicide deaths as homicide deaths in Connecticut.
• Rural areas had the highest suicide rate, while urban areas had the highest homicide rate.
• 72% of all homicide victims were men.
• 61% of all homicides were committed with a firearm.
• The cost associated with the loss of life from homicide was estimated at nearly $400 million in Connecticut in 2004.

• Click here to download the report