SMART TECH WEEKLY MEDIA ROUNDUP

July 23, 2015

These are the top news stories from the past week that address issues pertaining to gun violence in America. Catch up on what you missed and stay connected with the progress we’re making at Smart Tech Challenges Foundation.

3. WEAPONS STOLEN FROM FLORIDA SHERIFF: A submachine gun, a semi-automatic rifle and two pistols are among the loot reported stolen from a Florida deputy’s SUV vehicle, the second left from a sheriff’s vehicle in less than three months. The firearms taken were a H&K UMP submachine gun, an M4 semi-automatic rifle, a Glock Model 21 semi-automatic pistol, and a .40-caliber Glock Model 23 semi-automatic pistol. Each gun belonged to the sheriff’s department except for the .40-caliber GLock pistol which belonged to the deputy. These stolen weapons are now at large and capable for mass use. However if they had been equipped with smart technology, the theft of these guns would be far less worrisome because it would be almost impossible for any other individual to fire and use the weapons.  (New York Daily News)

2. CHATTANOOGA, ANOTHER DESTINATION FOR GUN VIOLENCE: Last Thursday, a 24-year-old man targeted two military recruiting stations where he opened fire and shot seven people. Four United States Marines were killed, and a fifth was injured so critically that he died later at a local hospital. This was yet another devastating mass shooting, following the shooting in Charleston that grabbed headlines and seized the debate on gun control in America. Four guns were seized from the shooter, with some weapons seeming to have been acquired legally while others were not. (The New York Times, ABC News, CNN, The Huffington Post, LA Times, NBC News, NPR, Voice of America, WSJ)

1. SMART GUNS ARE THE ANSWER: NYT op-ed contributors consider that one of the best ways to advance gun control policies starts and ends with the gun manufacturers themselves. They argue that manufacturers could distribute guns only to dealers who sell guns responsibly, and they could produce “smart guns” that can only be fired by authorized users. The one caveat: companies will only innovate in these areas if their customer base asks them to do so. The president and the federal government can put pressure on this issue, by starting a conversation and supporting smart-gun research. But ultimately, these gun manufacturers need greater incentive from both the people and state officials to make more smart guns so that gun users are more protected, and so less guns fall into the hands of criminals. (The New York Times)