Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

After today�s UK mass shooting, what makes gun banners think British laws would work here?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The body count in Northwest England�s Cumbria county earlier today stands at a dozen dead and more than twice as many wounded, suspected gunman Derrick Bird is dead and he used only a sporting shotgun and .22-caliber rifle, according to published reports."

"Not an 'assault weapon' in sight, and there are indications that Bird may have legally owned those guns as he was apparently a member of a local gun club." ...

"American gun prohibitionists have frequently held up the gun laws of Great Britain as their model. They have created the impression that English-style gun laws would prevent outrages in this country. Today's shooting spree ... should forever put the lie to this argument.'�CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, Bellevue" ...

South Africa not compensating owners for surrendered guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "So why would anyone surrender a firearm in the first place, let alone under those conditions?"

"It's 'law-abiding' people trying to abide. They fear becoming state-created criminals. The government's licensing fiasco, combined with its misleading amnesty statements have induced/scared some to fold."

"The object, of course, is...well, here, I'll let 'Gun Free South Africa' explain the ultimate goal in their letter to the President:" ...

Anyone, anytime, anywhere: Are you aware?
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"I'm, not normally fearful, but an exhibit in downtown Denver gave me a dose of paranoia. At The Cell, ... there is currently an installation called 'Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere-Understanding the Threat'. The whole thrust of the show is to point out that there are terrorists of every stripe all over the planet. ... All use terror as a method to get their message out to the world, and the effect on regular folks is pretty much the same: death and destruction."

"... Most of the exhibit dealt with bombings, and there isn't much an armed citizen can do about them after the fact ... If Scott Stewart of STRATFOR is correct, we will be seeing more shootings. We could well make a difference in that case, real time." ...

The Unbearable Rightness of Being Armed
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Yesterday the California Assembly approved a bill that would make it a crime to openly carry a gun in public. Under current law, Californians may carry guns openly as long as they're unloaded�a fact that some gun owners have used to make a symbolic statement about their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The alarm generated by these displays gave rise to the bill, which now goes to the state Senate. ..." ...

"What's interesting is that carrying a concealed weapon, which by the logic of this bill's backers would be preferable, is much harder to do legally in California. In addition to undergoing training and passing a criminal background check, you need permission from the local sheriff or police chief ..." ...

The Daley dilemma: what to say when it turns out that "guns is the answer"? Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
"Mayor Daley is seated squarely on the bayonet of a dilemma. ..." ... "When it comes to the case of the elderly, otherwise law-abiding American veteran who apparently concluded that he had a moral duty to break Mayor Daley's law in order to protect his family from Chicago's criminals, Daley has lots of options. The problem is, from his point of view, that none of them are very good options:" ...

Chicago v. Self Defense
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Talk about your inconvenient truth. Five days after Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had held a press conference touting the benefits of the city's handgun ban by brandishing a rifle with a bayonet and ... cracking a joke about shoving it up a reporter's bum, an 80-year-old man on the West Side of Chicago traded gunfire with a burglar, killing the intruder."

"For advocates of gun control, the optics on this story are just awful. It's nearly impossible to drum up any sympathy for the deceased, Anthony Nelson, who had a long history of drug and weapons convictions and was on probation. He attempted to break into the house, brought a gun with him, and fired twice at the so-far unnamed homeowner." ...

Pulling Chicago's Gun Ban Trigger
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Chicago gun debate finally shows signs of changing. With the Supreme Court's decision on the city's gun ban imminent, people might be beginning to understand that gun bans don't stop criminals from getting guns."

"At a press conference two weeks ago, Mick Dumke, a reporter from the liberal Chicago Reader, asked Mayor Richard Daley what should have been an obvious question: 'Since guns are readily available in Chicago even with a ban in place, do you really think it's been effective?' Daley's response wasn't very helpful. ..."

"... But it wasn't Daley's answer that was important. The novelty is that a reporter actually questioned Daley on whether the gun ban had failed." ...

Mexico City newspaper points to source of drug cartels' guns--the government
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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... "That brings us nicely to MexiData's 'An Inside Look at Mexican Guns and Arms Trafficking.' Quoting the Mexico City newspaper El Universal, it tells us about a Mexican 'crime gun' source that Calder�n, the Brady Campaign, the Violence Policy Center, and others would like us not to know about, because it's obvious that no combination of restrictions on American civilians can do anything about it."

"A percentage of the weapons, the seller said, come from Mexico via Ministry of Defense personnel who provide [them] in part from weapons seized in raids, or stolen from the ministry's own arsenal."

"Corruption in the Mexican government? I'm shocked, I tell you--shocked!"

"Another of Mr. Codrea's articles took an in-depth look at the U.S. government's (indirect) role in arming the cartels." ...

NRA Now Accepting Entries To George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The National Rifle Association is now accepting entries for the 2010 George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest. The contest, which has been running annually since 1987, is open to students in grades 1 through 12, including home-schooled children. NRA membership is not required. The deadline to enter is November 1, 2010."

"Entries will be placed into one of four categories based on school grade. Category I includes grades 1 through 3. Category II is for grades 4 through 6. Category III covers grades 7 through 9, and Category IV includes grades 10 through 12. Entries may portray any North American game bird or animal that may be legally hunted or trapped. ..." ...

Facing defeat in U.S. courts, Chicago Mayor Daley suggests 'appeal' to World Court
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is clearly getting desperate to save the city's longtime ban on private ownership of firearms. With the prospect looming of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling his city's ban unconstitutional, and after the state Supreme Court tossed his $433 million lawsuit against the gun industry, he is now calling for a change of venue � to the World Court normally reserved for disputes between nations and crimes against humanity."

"They mayor's actions are dripping in hypocrisy since for years, Daley has demanded freedom from the Illinois state government and now he is willing to sacrifice United States sovereignty at the altar of gun control." ...

Praxis: The Double A Reinforced Enfield Cartridge Belt
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Anyone who has tried to adapt an M1923 Cartridge Belt to Enfield .303 or Mosin-Nagant 7.62x54R five round stripper clips has discovered that the pockets are not large enough to accommodate two clips per pouch. Plus, any surplus belts you find these days are a. worn-out and b. too expensive. ..."

"So, what's a surplus bolt-gunner to do?"

"A trip this afternoon to my favorite local surplus store, AA Army Surplus, Leeds, AL, found the proprietor Darryl Baxter ... having just completed a mod of this belt:"

"Behold, an Indian-manufacture 10 pocket Enfield cartridge belt. Made of cotton canvas it is in its original state adjustable to 58". ..."

"But the most important thing is the pouches are ROOMY ..." ...

Praxis: Rethinking The Pistol As A Weapon Of War
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"'A pistol is only good for fighting you way to a rifle.'"

"It's a common quote, often attributed to Jeff Cooper and other well-known tactical experts."

"In today's increasingly complex battlefield, and in times of economic collapse and the shrinking legitimacy of the state, we often find that rules of thumb once taken for granted have been turned upside down. Perhaps it's time we reconsider the tactical utility of pistols."

"Perhaps the biggest fallacy held among modern patriots, militia groups and survivalists is the idea of SHTF. ... that one day everything is going to be perfectly normal and the next day life is utter chaos�it's just not going to happen." ...

Brady Campaign Looks Back on What the NRA Used to Believe on Guns
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Oh, the good old days. Leave it to Beaver, the Andy Griffith Show, and a [NRA] that told people to be careful with guns and favored laws that kept dangerous people from buying guns."

"We came across this advertisement, from a 1954 NRA publication, on eBay. But seeing how representative it is of sweeping historic change, maybe it ought to be in the Smithsonian. Because when this advertisement was designed, the NRA actually thought:"

"-- it was a good thing to be opposed to violent overthrow of the government of the United States, and"

"-- anyone who had been convicted of a violent crime should lose their ability to buy a gun."

"Here's the text of the 'Pledge' that would-be NRA members were asked to take:" ...

Protesters File-In to Rep. Childers' Office Today and Demand Local Control on Gun Issues
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Dozens of DC citizens hand-delivered a clear message at the Capitol Office of Mississippi Rep. Travis Childers (D-MS) today: stop interfering with local issues and concentrate on the issues that affect Mississippi." ...

"'I'm confident that Rep. Childers would not allow Congress to interfere in the local affairs of Mississippi, and we demand that same standard applies to local governance here in Washington, DC,' said DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka. 'We will continue to follow up with Rep. Childers and ask that he concentrate on the issues affecting the people of Mississippi.'" ...
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Submitter's Note: So Ilir is working for the repeal of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act? After all, we can't "allow Congress to interfere in the local affairs of Mississippi", right?

CA petition drive to tell Arnold "NO" to "Unloaded Open Carry" legislation Submitted by: Mitch Morey	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
There is legislation going through CA to take away your current right to "Unloaded Open Carry". This petition will tell Arnold "NO! Do not take away our right to unloaded open carry"

MO: Missouri mom uses gun to stop attempted rape of daughter
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Cape Girardeau mother with a gun is being credited with stopping the attempted rape of her daughter."

"... 51-year-old Craig Kizer faces a variety of charges, including attempted rape, armed criminal action and burglary. ..."

"Police say Kizer had been working on the family's home as part of a renovation project, but was not staying there. The teen was in bed around 5:30 a.m. Sunday when Kizer came into her room with a knife and climbed on top of her."

"When he set the knife down on the bed, the teen grabbed it and screamed."

"The girl's mother came into the room with a gun, pointed it at the suspect and ordered him out of the house. Police later arrested him."

PA: Man kills neighbor's pit bull
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Police filed charges against a 37-year-old Chester Springs woman after her three pit bulls reportedly charged at her neighbors." ...

"... police met resident Fred Zeitter, 46, who stated he and his wife had been in their yard planting a tree when three pit bulls, belonging to their neighbor, came running toward them." ...

"The pit bulls reportedly continued to charge at Zeitter as he ran into his home. Zeitter then grabbed his .40-caliber handgun from his deck, turned around, and as all three pit bulls were charging at him, he fired his handgun at one of the dogs, striking the dog in the head and killing it instantly, according to police. The other two pit bulls then ran away from Zeitter's home." ...

VA: Hurt will protect Second Amendment rights
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The anti-gun crowd is relentless in trying to blame society's ills on the private ownership of guns."

"There are numerous bills floating around Congress that would add more and more restrictions on gun ownership and ammunition availability."

"Nancy Pelosi is one of the most aggressive advocates for more and more gun control, and we have seen that she calls the shots for Tom Perriello's votes on key issues."

"We cannot trust Perriello to accurately represent the 5th District on this issue."

"The [NRA] has given Senator Robert Hurt an 'A' rating for his efforts as a Virginia legislator."

"Hurt will continue to be a strong supporter of the Second Amendment rights as our 5th District Congressman." ...

VA: Put 'Hurt' on 'one-term Tommy'
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"On June 8 I will vote for Robert Hurt for Republican for Congress because he is the most qualified person for the job."

"Robert has demonstrated integrity, honesty, and competence through his service to us in the House of Delegates and in the Virginia Senate."

"His performance, temperament and moral character have been tested and vetted through several political campaigns ..."

"Robert is a realist who has practiced legislative responsibilities and knows the importance of developing partnerships in order to achieve conservative objectives on our behalf."

"Sen. Hurt has been a prosecutor and is a constitutional strict-constructionist and is a guardian of our Second Amendment rights and our family and social values." ...

TX: Done with gun? Trade it in
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"For the first time in Central Texas, a law enforcement agency will take a gun off your hands, ask no questions and give you money for groceries."

"Identification won't be required to turn in a weapon through Guns 4 Groceries, a program sponsored by the Austin Police Department and the Greater Austin Crime Commission that will allow police to guns in exchange for grocery store gift cards."

"Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the main goals of the program are to reduce gun violence in Austin and help families that do not know what to do with an old gun in the home." ...
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Submitter's Note: Here's the chance you've been waiting for. Get rid of that old murder weapon and get paid in the bargain!

OR: State police: We have only 3 Tasers in Portland area
Submitted by: none

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"We now know that the trooper who shot and injured a man whose car ran out of gas getting onto Interstate 205 was not carrying a stun gun or electronic shock device such as a Taser."

"Relatives have said the man, 37-year-old Scott Lee Campbell, would only have shown the knife if he were trying to hand it to the officer or had been asked to take it out of his pocket. ..."

"Now, in the face of criticism on police shootings, state police tell us they only have 40 electronic shock devices for state patrol use across the state. ..."

"In the Portland area, Oregon state police said they only have three tasers - and only three troopers who are trained to carry them." ...

OH: Estimates OK for speeding tickets, court rules
Submitted by: Anonymous

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

Ohio's highest court has ruled that a person may be convicted of speeding purely if it looked to a police officer that the motorist was going too fast.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an officer's visual estimation of speed is enough to support a conviction if the officer is trained, certified by a training academy, and experienced in watching for speeders. The court's 5-1 decision says independent verification of a driver's speed is not necessary.

The court upheld a lower court's ruling against a driver who challenged a speeding conviction that had been based on testimony from police officer in Copley, 25 miles south of Cleveland. The officer said it appeared to him that the man was driving too fast.

FL: Lawtey PD Officer Arrested, Charged with Bribery, Accused of Offering to Take Cash for Tickets
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"The Bradford County Sheriff's Office has arrested a member of the Lawtey Police Department."

"Kenyatta Sheffield, a part-time officer, is accused of offering to let speeders pay fines in cash while he had them pulled over."

"Deputies with the BCSO arrested Sheffield on Thursday on charges of bribery and unlawful compensation for official behavior. He is being held in protective custody at the Bradford County jail in lieu of $60,000 bond."

"While this little town has a reputation for being a speed trap, it is now getting another bad rap."

"'Speed traps are one thing. Taking money, bribing is another thing altogether,' said Lt. Gail Russell of the BCSO." ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

MA: Mass. animal control officer accused in gun theft
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A Westford animal control officer, indicted in connection with the theft of several guns and equipment from the town, has been ordered held on $5,000 cash bail."

"Michael Harrington pleaded not guilty Friday ..."

"A Middlesex grand jury recently indicted the 45-year-old Tyngsboro resident on a number of charges, including larceny of a firearm and receiving stolen property."

"According to prosecutors, surveillance video showed Harrington leaving a school department maintenance facility with a power broom valued at $800. Police also believe that Harrington stole firearms from the town and resold them on the street." ...
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H/t to David Codrea.

IL: Officer is found guilty of threatening cabbie with gun over $8 fare
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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FULL TEXT BELOW:

A Chicago police officer was found guilty Thursday of stiffing a cabdriver of an $8 fare and then threatening him at gunpoint.

About half a dozen cabdrivers cheered when Judge Thomas Byrne convicted the officer, John Killackey, a 10-year veteran, of misdemeanor theft and assault following a short bench trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 24.

"This shows that the cops are not above the law," said Karl Clermont, the cabdriver whose complaint against Killackey led to the charges.
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Submitter's Note: Effectively robbing a cabbie at gunpoint is a misdemeanor? It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that the penalty enhancement for use of a firearm in a felony is 15 years could it?

H/t to David Codrea who frequently points out: "Forget it Jake, it's Chi-Town."

GA: DeKalb cop passed counterfeit bills, feds say
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"A former DeKalb County police detective has been indicted on a federal counterfeiting charge."

"Lawana Clinton was initially arrested by her police department on charges of forgery and violation of oath of office ..."

"Clinton, 39, and her husband Jason, 37, were each indicted on one count of passing counterfeit U.S. currency and were arraigned Wednesday. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000."

"The Decatur couple allegedly used phony $100 bills and $50 bills at the Macy's at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody while Lawana Clinton was employed as a DeKalb police officer."
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H/t to David Codrea.

PA: Townships, boroughs modify gun laws
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"When a Lebanon soccer mom wore a holstered handgun to her daughter's soccer game in 2008, it raised a firestorm of debate over the rights of individuals to bear arms in public spaces."

"Now, some Lancaster County municipalities are revising local ordinances to allow � or, at least, not specifically forbid � guns on municipal property." ...

"The state UFA reserves the right to regulate firearms, giving municipalities little room to disagree."

"'Even though it seems perfectly logical and reasonable that you don't want guns at soccer fields with children, the Uniform Firearms Act limits what municipalities can do,' Cleary said." ...
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Submitter's Note: Let's try it this way: "Even though it seems perfectly logical and reasonable that you don't want coloreds at soccer fields with children, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 limits what municipalities can do." Doesn't sound nearly so 'logical and reasonable' now, does it? A civil right is a civil right, period stop.

TX: Largest weapons cache in years seized in Laredo
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Laredo police say they made one of their largest weapons seizures in years after pulling over a truck laden with brand new assault rifles, bayonets and ammunition that they believe was headed to Mexico." ...

"... Laredo police stopped a vehicle containing 147 new, boxed assault rifles, 200 high-capacity magazines, 53 bayonets and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. ..." ...

"'Two Joe Blows aren't going to buy a bunch of weapons and it stops there,' Baeza said. 'We're pretty positive it was headed to Mexico.' He declined to release the names of the two men ..."

"Baeza said the seizure hit home in the context of Calderon's recent visit to Washington, during which he suggested the U.S. reinstate its ban on the sale of assault rifles." ...
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Submitter's Note: 147 brand new AK-47s, still in the box? So soon after Calderon's call to restore the AWB? Does anyone else find this just a leetle bit convenient for the antis?

IL: A Gun For Grandpa
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"Chicago is deciding whether to prosecute a great-grandfather and Korean War veteran under its handgun ban. He refused to be a victim, and now there's one less armed thug roaming the streets. What's the problem?"

"If the 80-year-old vet living on the city's West Side didn't have the gun the city said he shouldn't have, he and his 83-year-old wife and 12-year-old great-grandson might have joined those victims of gun violence about whom gun-control advocates constantly chirp."

"The vet obtained the gun in violation of the city's handgun ban after a prior incident in which the couple was robbed at gunpoint by three armed intruders. So when Anthony Nelson ... tried breaking into their East Garfield Park home, they were ready." ...

NC: Grass Roots North Carolina Needs Volunteers for the Fayetteville Gun Show
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"GRNC needs volunteers to host the tables at the next C & E gun show in Fayetteville to be held the weekend of June 5th & 6th."

"It will be held at the Crown Coliseum in the Crown Expo Center, Cumberland County Civic Center, 1960 Coliseum Drive: http://www.crowncoliseum.com/"

"Please set aside a couple of hours that weekend to help."

"If you have an articulate friend whom you would like to introduce to gun rights activism please invite her or him to work with us show weekend whether or not that person is a current member."

"Remember, too, that C & E Shows provide free show admission to anyone who volunteers his or her time to help our cause."

"Volunteers please email Charles French at faygunshow-AT-grnc.org." ...

NY: Dems cheer Mexico
Submitted by: Bruce W. Krafft

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"What happened to the Democratic Party? We have a foreign head of state come to the United States and slam our nation and a fellow state and the Democrats stand up and cheer." ...

"President Calderon blaming the United States for the violence on the border by citing the Second Amendment is ridiculous. Blaming the United States for the violence in Mexico is like blaming the rape victim because of her beauty. Mexico is brimming with corruption at all levels and Calderon wants to blame us."

"The United States doesn't have the level of violence Mexico had and we have gun owners from coast to coast."

"The problem isn't the United States or the Second Amendment; the problem is Mexico's corruption!" ...

UK: 12 dead in U.K. shooting rampage
Submitted by: R. Smith

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"A taxi driver described as 'friends with everybody' went on a shooting spree across the scenic Lake District of northwestern England on Wednesday, police said, killing 12 people and wounding 25 others before shooting himself."

"The rampage in Cumbria was the deadliest mass shooting since 1996 in Britain, where gun ownership is tightly restricted and handguns are banned."

"The deadly spree 'has shocked the people of Cumbria and around the country to the core,' Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde said." ...

"'This kind of thing doesn't happen in our part of the world,' local lawmaker Jamie Reed told the BBC. 'We have got one of the lowest, if not the lowest, crime rates in the country.'" ...