Supporters say that most legal weapons end up in the hands of criminals who kill innocent people. Opponents say a ban on firearms sales will only increase illegal trafficking.The homicide rate in Rio rivals that of any declared war zone in the world. "We're an international reference point when it comes to gunshot treatment," says Dr Flavio Sa, in charge of registering the blood-spattered human traffic, with a mixture of horror and pride. Mr dos Santos and his partner were on a police call when they were attacked. He was hit in the eye by a bullet and by shrapnel from a grenade.
"This is getting worse than Afghanistan," says a female police officer.Brazil already has tough gun laws, but the referendum would ban the sale of any firearm. A sign of the times is that, 10 years ago, no one kept records of gunshot victims, nor had much experience treating them.By 8:40pm, there are four bullet wound victims in emergency Four minutes later, more arrive. Among them is a police officer, Marco Antonio dos Santos, 34. Brazil's response to this appalling cull comes tomorrow when its people will be the first in the world to vote in a national referendum on an outright ban on all guns. The HGB is on the frontline of this undeclared war and is fast earning the tag as world leader in the treatment of gunshot wounds. A hand-written sign hangs from the emergency room door, with the warning: "Restricted due to overcrowding (Risk of Death)".
Inside it's a typically hot Friday night at Bonsucesso General Hospital (HGB) in Rio's sprawling north side, and the gunshot victims are rolling in. They are part of an annual tide of firearms casualties that tops 40,000. That is four times the number in the United States, despite the fact that Brazil's population is 100 million fewer. Police have made token arrests."They will talk [about the murder] for a couple of days," Mr Macri said wearily "Then kisses and goodbyes till the next time. They have written Calabria off, all of them, the government and the opposition, too.". We're frightened because nothing is ever discovered; the assassins will never be caught."Vincenzo Macri, a magistrate with Italy's Direzione nazionale anti-mafia group who has been investigating the 'ndrangheta for 12 years, said: "There have been 22 murders in Locri in 14 months, of which only four have been solved. I wasn't surprised about the murder [of Mr Fortugno], it was just a matter of time."Calabria is out of the state's control.
