NCJ Number
146373
Date Published
1989
Length
34 pages
Annotation
Reporters from the Cox Newspaper group conducted a computer search of files from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms on the availability of sophisticated assault weapons in the U.S. and the prevalence of gun-related deaths and injuries.
Abstract
The computer search unearthed nearly 43,000 gun traces during the 2-year period between 1988 and 1989. The articles included in this document, collected from Cox Newspaper syndicates, cover a range of issues related to assault weapons: the use of military firearms by drug traffickers and other criminals; the availability and popularity of the TEC-9 assault gun; the purported role of the National Rifle Association in threats, harassment, and intimidation aimed at preventing the passage of gun control legislation; and the role of TV and movies in promoting a culture of gun use in America. Several articles report on high-profile mass murder cases in which the assailant used an assault weapon, while others describe Congressional efforts to ban various types of firearms.