Latest news with #AR-15s
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Gardai nab gang run by plumber that smuggled guns in from US after thug supplied AR-15 rifle that killed lad in Dublin
, have fallen into the hands of some reckless groups here, who often did not know how to use them The semi-automatic assault rifles, used in mass shootings in the The semi-automatic assault rifles, used in mass shootings in the US , have fallen into the hands of some reckless groups here, who often did not know how to use them PLUMB OUT OF LUCK Gardai nab gang run by plumber that smuggled guns in from US after thug supplied AR-15 rifle that killed lad in Dublin THE gang run by a plumber that smuggled guns in from the US is also believed to have sold the military-grade AR-15 rifle used in the Republic's last gun killing. The Irish Sun can reveal cops suspect Mark McCourt's mob — whose arms depot was in Ardee, Co Louth — supplied the firearm which saw Josh Itseli, 20, shot dead in May 2024. 7 Plumber Mark McCourt ran a gang that smuggled guns into Ireland from the US Credit: Social Media Collect 7 Investigations identified Newry man McCourt, who led an organised crime group Credit: Garda Press Office 7 Josh Itseli, 20, was shot dead in May 2024 Credit: Journalist Collect Detectives probing Itseli's death believe he was accidentally shot by his pal while in a car on their way to target rivals in Drimnagh, in Dublin's south inner city. The chief suspect in the case, who threw the gun into a hedge near the scene, remains under investigation. In a period of mayhem in the Irish gangland scene, it saw younger, local organised crime gangs — who were a number of layers beneath Ireland's most senior mobs — accessing lethal AR-15 firearms. The semi-automatic assault rifles, used in mass shootings in the US, have fallen into the hands of some reckless groups here, who often did not know how to use them. On the night before Itseli's killing, a post by his associate on social media asked if anyone knew how to use 'this thing'. In an exclusive interview with The Irish Sun, Det Chief Supt Seamus Boland of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told how it became a national priority to find who was supplying the guns after the concerning trend emerged. He explained: 'We became extremely concerned when we saw weapons of the calibre of these AR-15s appearing in the possession of gangland figures here in Ireland. That was hugely concerning.' The senior cop added: 'The AR-15s are synonymous with so many school shootings in the United States. And these are weapons that we hadn't come across before.' Investigations quickly identified Newry man McCourt, who led an organised crime group smuggling guns from the US to Ireland. Gardai release video footage of guns used by Gucci Gang as leader Glen 'Mr Flashy' Ward jailed The operation saw his associate — who had US citizenship — legally buying firearms and strip them back into components before bringing them to Ireland. McCourt then assembled and sold them onward to gangs in Dublin, Derry and Limerick. But the thug's illicit scheme was smashed when armed gardai swooped on a warehouse in Ardee in July 2024. Investigators seized 82 firearm components — which could be assembled into six AR-15 assault rifles — and 12 semi-automatic Glock pistols, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Once we identified a group as one of the highest risk criminal organisations in the country, particularly one that's going to be using violence and death, they had to become our main focus of our investigations." Det Chief Supt Bolan Det Chief Supt Boland added: 'Clearly to us there was a firearms trafficking route into Ireland that was obviously supplying these types of weapons. "So that became a priority focus for us, the Drug Organised Crime Bureau. 'And the net result of our investigations is that we absolutely dismantled the trafficking route for AR-15s into this jurisdiction that was in place at the time.' CASHING IN McCourt pleaded guilty to six counts over facilitating a criminal organisation to import explosives, firearms and ammunition into the State. He is due to be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court later this year. His sentencing hearing last month offered an insight into the money McCourt was making. The court also heard how McCourt sent a list of weaponry — including four AR-15 military grade assault rifles, five Glocks, ammunition and magazines — in messages to a buyer, saying that €75,000 in cash is the 'best price' he could do. The major investigation is ongoing, with McCourt's close associate held and quizzed over the unlawful possession of ammunition last Monday. Other criminals who accessed AR-15s in recent years included 'Mr Flashy' Glen Ward and his younger sibling Eric O'Driscoll. 7 Other criminals who accessed AR-15s in recent years included 'Mr Flashy' Glen Ward and his younger sibling Eric O'Driscoll Credit: 7 The scene on Knocknarea Rd in the Drimnagh area of south Dublin, where Itseli was killed Credit: RTE News The pair are now serving prison sentences of five-and-a-half years and five years respectively after being caught in video footage firing the gun in the air at a house party in Finglas, Dublin, on New Year's Eve in 2022. Itseli remains the last gun killing victim in the Republic, 15 months ago, as the major work done by the GNDOCB in foiling multiple attempts to kill has paid off. Many of those willing to pull a trigger are now serving lengthy sentences behind bars. Shootings erupted during the Kinahan cartel's onslaught on the rival Hutch gang in 2016. And the GNDOCB were deployed on 20 occasions in threat to life operations, 26 times in 2017 and then 13 in 2018. The following year saw 14 before it significantly dropped from 2020 onwards to just two, the same number again in 2021, three in 2022 and none in 2023. Last year, there were four threat to life ops, including foiling a hit planned by Ireland's top gang The Family as they attempted to target slain drug dealer Cormac Berkeley's close associate. 'HAD TO BE RESILIENT' Det Chief Supt Boland explained that the GNDOCB changed strategy in 2016 and became much more proactive in targeting the top level organised crime groups. He told us: 'Once we identified a group as one of the highest risk criminal organisations in the country, particularly one that's going to be using violence and death, they had to become our main focus of our investigations. 'We had to be resilient enough to keep investigating them and not just be proactively investigating crimes as they're being committed, but identify who are the leaders, who are the facilitators, who's enhancing the groups, who are the members of these groups.' The GNDOCB focused a lot of time and resources in doing covert operations, gathering evidence in the background against some of the most violent people who were working for these crime gangs. Boland added: 'A lot of our criminals who have been around for decades and are willing to pull the trigger on a gun and take somebody's life, a lot of them are actually locked up in prison serving serious sentences at the moment.' 7 Gardai searching for weapons in the undergrowth in the grounds of a day care centre on Curlew Road, Drimnagh Credit:
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Beto O'Rourke stands pat on his past comments of taking away AK-47s and AR-15s
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, told comedian Hasan Minhaj on Wednesday that he does not regret saying during a 2019 presidential debate that he would 'take away' Americans' AK-47s and AR-15s. During a Democratic primary debate on ABC, O'Rourke made headlines with the following declaration: 'Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47, and we're not going to allow it to be used against your fellow Americans anymore.' Advertisement Three days later, O'Rourke appeared on NBC News' 'Meet the Press,' where then-host Chuck Todd pointed out that there was 'a lot of hand-wringing' about the then-presidential contender's full-throated call for confiscating such rifles. Appearing on the podcast 'Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know' on Wednesday, O'Rourke was asked whether he regretted making the 'extremely unpopular' statement. 'No,' he told Minhaj. 'We talked a little bit about this earlier, but you know, 23 people in my community had just been killed because it is perfectly legal in this country to buy an AK-47.' 4 Beto O'Rourke make the comments on Hasan Minhaj's 'Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know' podcast. Hasan Minhaj Doesn't Know / YouTube Advertisement 4 Law enforcement agents ready their weapons during the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022. AP The former Texas representative argued that AK-47s were 'designed and engineered for use on a battlefield,' and that such weapons use 'high-impact, high-velocity rounds' that are far more deadly than other ammunition. O'Rourke also made the case for implementing red flag laws for firearms, claiming that they could have prevented the tragic mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in 2019. 'That shooter, when the gun came in, his mom called the cops in Allen, Texas, and said, 'Hey, I don't know what's going on. I don't think my son's okay. He just bought an AK-47. Can you help me?'' he explained. 'And the cop said, 'Nothing we can do. Perfectly legal. You're on your own. Good luck and goodbye.'' Advertisement 4 Democrat Beto O'Rourke speaks alongside elected officials gathered for a rally ahead of a public hearing on the proposed congressional redistricting on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Houston. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images 4 Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas, created to honor the victims killed in the recent school shooting. AP 'You know, some people may think my saying that is crazy. I think what is even crazier is that after what happened in El Paso, it happened again in Midland-Odessa in Texas. After it happened in Midland-Odessa, it happened in Uvalde.' Following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, O'Rourke gave a fiery speech about gun control after being escorted out of a news conference where he confronted Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, over the tragedy. Advertisement Minhaj asked O'Rourke whether his sentiment that day reflected the 'median voter in Texas,' or the 'median comment' in his social media comment section, because 'clearly, the people of Texas… don't want this change.' The former Texas representative did not directly answer Minhaj's question, but noted that he has been working on finding 'common ground' with Republican voters in his state on the issue of gun control.
New York Post
08-08-2025
- New York Post
Don't let Diddy escape serving hard time in prison
No way should the court grant Sean 'Diddy' Combs' request to do his hard time in home confinement on his private Miami island. Yes, he avoided guilty verdicts on the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, which could've landed him a lifetime behind bars, but his convictions are still serious. They include two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — meaning he hired male escorts, flew them across the country, then forced his girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and another unnamed woman to have sex with them. And yes, that's the Cassie that a hotel security tape shows Diddy brutally attacking then dragging across the floor. House arrest at Combs' palatial compound — worth a staggering $48.5 million — isn't a punishment at all, it's a vacation. The 14,800-square-foot mansion on Star Island, one of the priciest zip codes in America, features multiple pools, a spa and even cabana-style pool houses; it's not Rikers but Ritz Carlton. Plus, it's the scene of many of his drug-fueled 'freak-offs': The feds' raid of the home last March found AR-15s, a cornucopia of drugs, boxes full of stripper heels, baskets full of lube and an array of sex toys. Saying 'it's impossible' for Combs 'to show he poses no danger to any person,' Judge Arun Subramian has already denied his request for a $50 million bond to await sentencing at his Miami estate, leaving him in a Brooklyn detention center where he belongs. Sounds like Diddy is headed not to 'jail at home' but to something a lot closer to the 51-to 63 months in prison that federal prosecutors want, which is at least a start on real justice.
NBC Sports
04-08-2025
- NBC Sports
Report: Denzel Perryman won't be prosecuted for weapon possession arrest
Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman was released from police custody on Monday and it looks like he'll avoid any chance of further confinement. TMZ reports that Perryman will not be prosecuted for the possession of assault weapons. Perryman was arrested in Los Angeles on Friday after police found two AR-15s in his trunk. Perryman was on his way to a gun range and it's not clear why he was stopped, but those guns are illegal in California. Prior to the news about Perryman's case, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh discussed the situation at his press conference. 'He's working through the legalities along with his representation,' Harbaugh said. 'Had a chance to see him yesterday, he's in good spirits. . . . We're just letting the due process play out.' Perryman started all 11 games he played for the Chargers last season and Monday's news suggests he'll be available to reclaim his starting job this year.
Hindustan Times
29-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Shane Tamura used $420 gun in NYC shooting: Weapon details
Shane Tamura has been identified as the gunman responsible for the shooting in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Monday, that left at least four – including one NYPD officer – dead. An NYPD officer was killed in the attack.(Bloomberg) Tamura, after the attack, at 345 Park Avenue, turned the gun on himself. While the situation was ongoing, several reports said that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and had an AR-15. Now, New York Post has confirmed what weapon Tamura used to carry out the heinous act. Manhattan shooting: Details of gun Shane Tamura used Tamura used a Pametto State Armory AR-15 assault rifle with .223 caliber bullets, NY Post reported. The gun costs around $420. It has also been reported that Tamura had a conceal carry permit issued to him by the Las Vegas Police Department. Palmetto State Armory says about their line of AR-15s 'Our line of PA-15 rifles is our interpretation of the legendary AR-15 rifle that you have grown to love. When you purchase a PA-15 rifle, you are purchasing not only an American made firearm but one that carries a full lifetime warranty. We offer a variety of configurations that are sure to check all the boxes you're looking for when deciding on an AR-15.' What you need to know about Palmetto State Armory Palmetto State Armory is an American firearms company based in Columbia, South Carolina. The name of the company is derived from SC's official nickname 'The Palmetto State'. The company was started in 2008 by Jamin McCallum, who had a career in accounting prior to this. While the company started off by selling magazines and ammunition, it moved on to making its own firearms and firearm components. The company is specially known for its line of AR-15s and pistols, with Tamura having purchased one of the former products. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley had called the company a 'valued member of South Carolina's thriving business community'.
