A week ago, somebody started shooting at a film crew of a local, TV channel for Granada (TG7) using a pellet gun, but this incident is just the last in a string of similar ones.
It happened near the TV offices within the Poligono El Florío industrial estate in the morning, resulting in one of the crew getting shot in the back.
Then there was the incident involving a young woman from Fuente Vaqueros who had to undergo emergency surgery after a airgun pellet punctured her lung on the 3rd of September during the local fiestas – she was a musician in the brass band as it wound its way through the street.
Similar airgun-related incident took place in March, when persons unknown took potshots at the local buses in the Northern District of the city of Granada, as well as against a taxi in La Chana district in April.
These weapons are sold for leisure or recreational use. The Guardia Civil point out that the only requirement in Spain for a person to obtain a pellet gun or air rifle is to be of legal age and to provide their national identity document (DNI) at the time of purchase.
The shop that sold the weapon then forwards the buyer’s details to the local town council and to the firearms-control authority (intervención de armas). These weapons can be obtained at a gun shop, or even in authorised sports stores or online.
The Guardia Civil also explains that firearms regulations dictate that, while minors cannot buy them, they can apply for a weapons card and use them from the age of 14.
Now, all men, as young lads, had air pistols or air rifles when they were growing up and although they are meant for target shooting, it doesn’t take long before you taking out bottles on a post or a potshot at a pidgeon or rabbit in the woods, in the case of a .22 (5.5mm) air rifle. We’ve been there, seen it, done it, but what you don’t do is shot at people… not even your mates.
Getting back to Spain, you can’t walk around with one in public (you can’t even walk around with a paintball gun) in fact, to transport one, you need a permit from your town hall – yes it’s true; you can’t just carry one in the boot of your car. Failure to obtain one, if you are stopped by traffic police with one in the car, could have you facing a fine of between 601 euros and 30,000 euros.
The Guardia Civil insists that they must not be used in unauthorised areas, emphasising that this weapon-permit does not authorise you to shoot at tin cans or any other object in the countryside, especially not against animals or birds. In the latter case, it can even lead to a hunting-related offence.
Editorial comment: there’s a sports shop in Motril where you can purchase an air rifle (.22) for just over 100 euros, although the expensive ones could cost you up to 3,000 euros, which use 6.5mm pellets or ball bearings. I bought a CO2 -cartridge air pistol some time back for 70 euros, if I remember correctly.
Did’s, any thoughts on this?
(News: Province of Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: Airgun Attacks, Fiestas, Perforated Lung, Shot in the Back, Guardia Civil, Transport Permit, .177, .22, 4.5mm, 5.5mm, Pellets
news, andalucia, granada, airgun attacks, fiestas, perforated lung, shot in the back, guardia civil, transport permit, .177, .22, 4.5mm, 5.5mm, pellets