The new push to ban so-called 'assault weapons'

[megimoo]

The new push to ban so-called 'assault weapons'
Mayor Slay, guns, and 'microstamping'

This being the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner, I have so far looked only at what is going on right at the local level. Starting now, though, I am going to expand the focus. Gun rights in St. Louis are, after all, seriously impacted by state and federal gun laws. This is not to say that I will abandon local gun rights issues--as they come up, I'll discuss them, but to focus on local events exclusively would be to ignore many of the most pressing gun rights issues facing St. Louisans and others.

One type of proposed federal law that incessantly comes up for discussion is a new federal ban on so-called "assault weapons." The last such ban, of course, expired in 2004, after which, suddenly . . . such firearms continued to be used in only a tiny percentage of violent crimes. That little detail hasn't deterred the gun prohibitionists, though, who constantly comb the news waiting for the next killing in which such firearms are used, in order to have something to point to in order to make their case.

This time, it's Miami that has provided fodder for the citizen disarmament advocates, with a shooting involving an "AK-47" (I suspect that it was a semi-automatic copy of an AK-47, rather than a real, fully automatic one--real AK-47s have been, and continue to be, regulated under laws much more restrictive than the AWB).
http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Lo...ssault-weapons

[AHeneen]

Another FL incident was reported using an AK-47:
Story

By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune
Published: December 5, 2008
PLANT CITY - An effort by more than 400 law enforcement officers from local, county and state agencies paid off late this afternoon.
The search for a slaying suspect that paralyzed Plant City for most of the day and led to the death of a bystander ended shortly before 3:45 p.m. with the capture of 25-year-old Fransisco Rangel.

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The manhunt shut down streets, locked down schools and even forced the cancellation of the annual Christmas parade, a Plant City tradition.

He was charged with one count each of first-degree murder and second-degree murder. He also faces five counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, one count of attempted murder and four counts of shooting at, within or into a vehicle.

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The gunman fired at least 17 shots at the detectives from an AK-47 rifle. The number of shots fired by detectives was unknown, he said.

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The day began shortly after sun-up with a shootout involving five Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives and Rangel, who was wanted in connection with a slaying Thursday, authorities said.

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Detectives spotted a white Ford Expedition driven by Rangel about 7:45 a.m. and gave chase.
Winsett said the chase stopped abruptly. Rangel "slammed on his brakes, exited the vehicle and fired several more times at our detectives," Winsett said. "The detectives returned fire, and the subject got back in the vehicle and continued to flee."

One of the patrol cars was hit six times, and two others were hit at least three times each, deputies said.
A passer-by pulled up to deputies at the scene after the gunman fled. In the car was a passenger who had been hit by a bullet, Winsett said.

The gunshot victim, Candelario Lagunes, 58, was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he died, Winsett said. "He was hit by one of the rounds fired by the suspect."