Results tagged “guns”

While crime is down throughout Brownsville, the blocks around Brooklyn's 73rd Precinct stationhouse have been played host to a number of recent shootings. In the past four months, there have been seven shootings within 10 blocks of the stationhouse — two of them fatal. These crimes come at a time while shootings have declined precinct-wide from 82 at this point last year, to 67 so far this year. Those are encouraging figures, according to NYPD spokesman Paul Browne: "The fact that overall crime is down by 6%, shootings are down by 18%, and murder is down by 23% reflects well on the precinct command's crime suppression." more ›

It appears that last week's story about senior bankers at Goldman Sachs arming themselves with handguns to fend off a "populist uprising" was just that: a story. Reporting for Bloomberg News, Alice Schroeder wrote, "New York Police Department has told me that ‘as a preliminary matter’ it believes some of the bankers I inquired about do have pistol permits." But now NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne tells the Wall Street Journal that only four Goldman employees have applied for gun permits in recent years — and the last application, submitted by the firm’s head of security, was made in 2003. Basically, they're sitting ducks over there! more ›

From the Daily News's Michael Daly: The great state of South Carolina is putting its own sick twist on Black Friday with a tax holiday on firearm purchases. Not cars. Not clothes. Certainly not books. Just guns. For the 48 hours following Thanksgiving, gun buyers will enjoy a break of up to 9% in state and local taxes. Firearms traffickers are not expected to pass the savings on to New York criminals, but what is called 'the extrava-gun-za' and 'Second Amendment Weekend' is sure to help South Carolina stay among the top five states that provide 85% of the illegal handguns recovered in New York City." Keep it classy, South Carolina! more ›

Long Island cops are using an $800,000 acoustic gunshot tracking system that allows officers to almost immediately pinpoint the locations of shootings from a data center miles away. The so-called ShotSpotter system transmits the sound of gunfire using microphones and wireless sensors to a police computer and triangulates the scene of a shooting to within 80 feet — though police sources in the “the gun corridor” between Roosevelt and Uniondale in Nassau County say it is often more accurate than that, sometimes leading cops exactly to the spots where shell casings were found. more ›

Yesterday, a 55-year-old NJ man who works as a security guard at Newark Liberty International Airport was arrested for allegedly making threats to President Obama. The Star-Ledger reports that two airport workers notified the authorities after John Brek, employed by a private company, apparently "made about Obama on Tuesday afternoon" which then led to a "predawn raid yesterday" at Brek's Linden home. more ›

Gun Show Undercover is not a new Dick Wolf crime procedural—it's actually NYC's report on the city's investigation into illegal gun sales. According to the city's press release, "The investigation, which covered seven gun shows in three states, proves on video how easy it is for criminals to buy firearms at gun shows. 35 of 47 gun sellers sold to people who said either they probably could not pass a background check or to apparent 'straw purchasers.'" And there are videos! more ›

Hey, New Yorkers, in case you needed to remember that NYC is full of mob wiseguys, check out this video from the NRA. It's airing in Virginia, to remind voters that gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell is fighting for their rights—rights that Mayor Bloomberg and his mobbed up, dese-dem-dose-talking constituents want to take away! more ›

President Obama's been in office just eight months, and already the government is moving in to disarm the citizenry. Why, just the other day they raided Anthony Cortese's house over in Midland Beach, Staten Island, confiscating his weapons and dragging him off in handcuffs, all because he hadn't registered some of his firearms with Obama's thought police! Cortese says he's a big game hunter (he owns property up in the Catskills) and tells the Staten Island Advance, "I think it's absolutely horrible that in America, they would take away a man's hunting rifles. I have to fight to get them back." more ›

Plaxico Burress cried yesterday as his three-year-old son Elijah and pregnant wife Tiffany watched him go off to jail. "I want to apologize to my family, my wife and my son," the superstar wide receiver said. "And my daughter," he added in a whisper. He was presumably referring to the unborn female child his wife is carrying, unless there are others we don't know about. "I thank everybody for their support, and my family for their prayers. We will all get through this." more ›

Former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress headed for Rikers Island earlier today after being sentenced to a two-year term for second-degree "attempted weapons possession." He had pleaded guilty to the charge after shooting himself in the thigh with his own illegal pistol in a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008. From Rikers Island he will be transferred to one of NY's many beautiful upstate prisons, just in time for foliage season and intramural convict football. ESPN.com noted that he was expected to serve about twenty months, followed by two years of probation, if his behavior is good. more ›

It might seem a little early for Christmas card season, but one Queens couple got a head start on an adorable shot of their two youngsters posing for friends and family...with guns. 27-year-old Jesse Kendall and 24-year-old Angela Haynes took the pictures of their 11-month-old and 5-year-old boys with their firearms and emailed it to friends and family. One of their loved ones was so struck by the email that they decided to pass it along as well—to Child Services. The Post reports that police ended up arresting the couple and charging them with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a weapon and possession of marijuana. Haynes told cops "that she thought it would be funny to take the photos with the kids and the guns." There was no word on police finding additional humorous shots of the children along with the narcotics police discovered. more ›

Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau made it clear today that his office has no plans to let former Giant receiver Plaxico Burress off lightly for the pending gun charges from his November shooting incident. The DA told the Post, "We've always taken the position that he's going to have to go to jail, whether by trial or by plea." more ›

The U.S. Senate voted 58-39 to reject an amendment "allowing a person with a concealed weapon permit in one state to also hide his firearm when visiting another state." The AP adds, "Opponents prevailed in their argument that the measure violated states rights by forcing states with stringent requirements for permits to recognize concealed weapons carriers from states that give out permits to almost any gun owner." Senator Chuck Schumer, who along with fellow NY Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand voted against the amendment, said, "This was a narrow escape. We just breathe a sigh of relief that we've kept to the principle of trying to keep America safer." Politico notes that essentially all the pro-gun Democrats voted for the bill and two Republicans—George Voinovich of Ohio and Dick Lugar of Indiana—voted against it; plus, "In some ways, this is also a victory of sorts for Majority Leader Harry Reid, who was able to make a pro-gun vote to please the 2010 voters in Nevada without really facing any consequences in terms of actual policy." You can see the geographic and party breakdown of the vote here. more ›

You can't just have a quaint little gun buyback event anymore. Someone has to ruin all the fun with a live hand grenade. The New Gospel Temple Church of God in Christ (all one name) in the Bronx was hosting the buyback yesterday where local residents were invited to turn in their firearms for $200 bank cards, no questions asked. But apparently around 1:30 p.m., there was a question that had to be asked to one —specifically, "is that a hand grenade?" That was then followed by "can someone call the Bomb Squad?" and then finally "would everyone please exit the building as quickly as possible?" After carting out the "improvised hand grenade," the NYPD held the man responsible, whom the Daily News calls "a dimwit," but it doesn't appear he'll be charged with anything. There was no indication as to whether he will receive payment for the explosive. Just Friday night, Bryant Park was closed for an hour when a man was attempting to sell another (?) grenade. more ›

Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr will be heading into court for a defamation lawsuit against Mayor Bloomberg. Per the AP, "Barr claims Bloomberg libeled Adventure Outdoors Sporting Goods when he labeled the Smyrna, Ga. gun shop a rogue gun dealer." Barr is representing Adventure Outdoors, which filed the $400 million lawsuit in 2006. Bloomberg has made going after gun dealers a cornerstone of his mayoral (and potential national) platform. In other Barr news, a judge ruled that he can remain on the Pennsylvania ballot--apparently the GOP is worried he'll siphon votes from John McCain. more ›

WNBC reports a FedEx employee and another man are charged with violating federal firearms statutes for stealing guns from a FedEx facility and selling them out of a car. Cargo handler Patrick Dolan took 146 guns--shipped from Argentina to a NJ importer--from a conveyor belt and enlisted John Sozomenou to help him. Their plan unraveled when, per the Star-Ledger, "Jersey City residents complained to police in May that two white males were selling handguns at three different public housing complexes," so the feds set up a sting. Go concerned citizens! FedEx says Dolan was fired after his arrest in May ("It appears to be an isolated issue. We have very tight security procedures in place.") and the pair face up to 10 years in prison. more ›

Two separate incidents Brooklyn resulted in the death of a 27-year-old man on a Brownsville sidewalk, a nine-year-old girl wounded, and a 13-year-old boy clinging to life. Police are investigating whether the shot that struck the nine-year-old girl in the arm yesterday was related to the shooting that killed Robert Morgan two blocks away in Brownsville. more ›

The NYPD detectives working the homicide investigation of Carol Simon have identified a suspect in her killing, although they are not publicizing his identity. Simon was shot as she was returning to her car where her son was waiting for her at a gas station. The killing occurred Saturday evening in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, as an argument between two men turned violent and one of the men pulled a gun. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg has made ridding the city of illegal guns one of his administration's major issues (it's also a big part of his potential national platform). Last year, he, on behalf of NYC, filed two federal lawsuits against out-of-state gun dealers, after sting operations revealed that the dealers were apparently selling guns illegally. While some dealers have settled, others are fighting back, countersuing the city. The Bloomberg administration's sting operations involved two undercovers going to... more ›

Even though winter’s barely a week old, many folks in the city have come down with a doozy of a cold, perhaps due to the sharp temperature drop that marked the end of an otherwise moderate fall. Our nasty respiratory bug is finally on its way out, largely because we’ve been treating it with a variety of potent soups available in Queens. Whether you're sick as a dog or just in need of a warm up, solace can be found in these hearty soups and stews. more ›

Nets 100, Cavaliers 79: With Cleveland's triple-double machine LeBron James on the bench, the Nets' Richard Jefferson played king for a day. Only he's been doing this all season long. Tuesday's totals: 36 points, 11-of-18 shooting, 13-of-15 from the line. Lines don't get much better than that. The Nets don't want to get too cocky, however. Shannon Brown led the way for the short-handed Cavaliers. When someone who average five points stepped up with 20,... more ›

A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death inside the Flatiron club Duvet early Friday morning. Shamel McKinsey stumbled outside and collapsed outside on West 21st street, "blood gushing from his wounds, just after 3:30 a.m.," according to the Daily News. McKinsey, who had an arrest record for drug possession with intent to sell, was pronounced dead at St. Vincent's Hospital. Police suspect that McKinsey may have been partying with the rapper Fabolous at Duvet,... more ›

Hoboken disbanded its SWAT team this week after another scandal rocked the police department of the tiny New Jersey town across the river. A number of minority officers recently filed a lawsuit accusing a high-ranking co-worker of behaving like a white supremacist, regularly deriding minorities. Now the SWAT team has been disbanded days after photos became public showing the unit's commander and other cops cavorting with waitresses at a Hooters restaurant in Alabama. The Mile... more ›

Jay-Z Around Town With a new, critically acclaimed album out and a refocused approach to his craft, Jay-Z took the stage twice this week in the Big Apple. For the relatively intimate events at Hammerstein and The Apollo, there was no shortage of friends and guests out to show support for Hov's return to form. Diddy, Nas, Lil Wayne and...Lebron James (?!?) all made appearances between the two shows. Lebron skipped a game to attend... more ›

The second 911 call between police shooting victim Khiel Coppin's mother and a 911 operator seems to suggests some misinformation. Coppin's mother Denise Owens claimed she told the 911 operator who called her back that her son did not have a gun. Here's an excerpt (you can read the transcript here and hear it here) of the call at 7:05PM, 14 minutes before police shot at 18-year-old Coppin 20 times: Female: Hello Operator: Hi Maam... more ›

EVENT: Tonight Duncan Sheik (ah, we still remember when he sang "Barely Breathing" at the Peach Pit After Dark) and Steven Sater pair up for a Spring Awakening book signing. They will be joined from 5–5:30pm by Spring Awakening cast members Jennifer Damiano and John Gallagher, Jr., who will perform acoustic versions of two song selections from the show at the signing. 5 to 7pm // Drama Book Shop [250 W 40th St] // Free... more ›

Mr. Brownstone is reuniting this weekend with a show at Bowery Ballroom. The Guns n' Roses cover band is led by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah drummer Sean Greenhalgh (who makes for a pretty good Axl!) and touts themselves as the World's Drunkest Tribute to G n' R. We asked them to give us their Top 5 all-time best reunions list to commemorate the event. THE FIVE GREATEST REUNIONS by Mr. Brownstone, the World's Drunkest... more ›

Anyone looking for closure in the Diddy SoHo slapfest case, look no further. Reports are that prosecutors aren't pursuing criminal charges against Mr. Combs anymore because "Stephen Acevedo appeared to stop cooperating with police - after accusing the rap star of sucker-punching him inside the exclusive SoHo club on Oct. 13 after the two quarreled over women." Of course, Acevedo's lawyer says he is taking the "high road" and declining to talk further about the... more ›

a good idea, no matter what side of the law you're on. A 14-year-old boy was throwing eggs at cars in Staten Island when two police officers decided to teach him a lesson. Police sources S.tell the Daily News that Officers Thomas Elliassen and Michael Danese picked up Rayshawn Moreno around 8:30PM, drove him to "a swampy area of the 122nd Precinct" and then "dropped him off wearing only boxer shorts and socks and left." Moreno had to walk to a Burlington Coat Factory, where a security guard called his parents. more ›

READING: We originally thought this was going down yesterday, but you still have a chance to see it! Not in a million years would we have thought we'd be listing a reading by former Guns n' Roses guitarist, Slash. But it turns out old rockers love to dish on their sordid lives, and this mysterious musician is no different. Tonight he'll read from his book, called Slash, which apparently "redefines sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll." more ›