For Release: Wednesday, September 3, 1997
The Miami postal clerk who yesterday shot and critically wounded his ex-wife, her friend, and then killed himself at a Miami Beach post office had a Florida concealed carry license for the two .357 handguns he pulled from his fanny pack and used in the shooting. According to the Florida State Division of Licensing, the gunman identified by the U.S. Postal Service as 64-year-old Jesus Antonio Tamayo was granted a concealed carry license less than two months before the fatal shooting.
According to the Florida State Division of Licensing, more than 200,000 residents currently hold licenses to carry concealed firearms. Two studies by the Violence Policy Center (VPC) reveal that violent incidents involving concealed carry license holders are not uncommon. The VPC research reports that since the Florida law went into effect nearly 10 years ago, more than 775 individuals have had their licenses revoked for a variety of crimes committed either prior or subsequent to licensure including assault with intent to murder, kidnapping/attempted kidnapping, and shooting with intent to wound.
VPC Health Policy Analyst Sue Glick states, “This is yet another case that proves the insanity of putting pistols in people’s pockets. Concealed carry laws don’t reduce violence, they encourage it. A troubled person with a gun in his pocket or glove compartment is a tragedy waiting to happen.”
About the Violence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
