Tag: statistics

How illegal firearms find their way onto British streets despite tough laws

Helen Williamson, University of Brighton

How it is possible to get hold of weapons in Britain despite tough laws that restrict their ownership and use? This strict firearm legislation, enacted chiefly through the Firearms Act 1968 and amendments following the 1987 Hungerford mass shooting and 1996 Dunblane mass shoting, has reduced the number of purpose-made firearms in circulation. This has contributed to the number of firearms offences (including those using airguns and air rifles) falling from a high of 24,094 in 2004 to 7,866 in 2015. Continue reading “How illegal firearms find their way onto British streets despite tough laws” →

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Dunblane massacre 20 years on: how Britain rewrote its gun laws – and the challenge it faces now

Peter Squires, University of Brighton

Thomas Hamilton walked into Dunblane Primary School, near Stirling, Scotland on March 13 1996, armed with four legally-owned handguns and over 700 rounds of ammunition. In three to four terrible minutes, he fired 105 shots killing 16 children and their teacher, and wounding 15 more children. His last shot killed himself.

In the 20 years since Dunblane, a great deal has been learned about preventing gun violence. Only the United States, where mass shootings now number in the hundreds, seems reluctant to embrace those lessons, prompting president Barack Obama to wonder why the US could not do more on gun control. Continue reading “Dunblane massacre 20 years on: how Britain rewrote its gun laws – and the challenge it faces now” →

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