Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Call for Stricter Gun Control in the UK

The Northern Echo reports

A YOUNG MAN whose mother, sister and aunt were shot dead by his stepfather has launched a campaign for stricter gun laws to be introduced. 

Bobby Turnbull, 23, lost his mother Alison Turnbull, 44, sister Tanya Turnbull, 24, and his aunt, Susan McGoldrick, 47 in the shootings in Horden, County Durham, on New Year’s Day. 

The gunman, Michael Atherton, who was Ms McGoldrick’s partner, also shot and injured her daughter Laura, who suffered minor injuries and escaped by jumping from a window, before turning the gun on himself, following an argument. 

Now Mr Turnbull and the rest of his family have started a petition in a bid to change gun licensing procedures. 

After the shootings it emerged that Atherton’s weapons were legally held, but they had been removed by Durham Police after concerns over alleged threats he made to harm himself in 2008. 

The weapons were taken from his house as a precaution, but as he insisted there had been no threat to harm himself, they were returned. 

Now Mr Turnbull and the rest of his family have started a petition in a bid to change gun licensing procedures.


What's your opinion? Do you think they're on to something here? Could better licensing and screening procedures identify some of these dangerous gun owners? Of course it could.

Please leave a comment.

3 comments:

  1. This is why we won't give you people an inch. You'll just push for more and more.

    Molon labe, bitches.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Exactly so. If we give you any new restrictions, you'll just want more. Only a gun control loon could think that the U.K. doesn't have far too strict laws already. And what do we see here? Those strict laws failed. And you wonder why we believe that you want a total ban on firearms.

    Molon labe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So basically allegations were made, the police removed his firearms, investigated the suspect, and then returned the firearms when they could not validate the allegations. So what is the common sense reform needed in light of this case? Allegations need not be validated?

    ReplyDelete