US cops to give guns out in raffle

The New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police has drawn fire for its fundraising raffle of a gun every day in May, including the types of weapons used in the Connecticut elementary school massacre less than two months ago.

But it's not the only controversial gun raffle held or under way across the US, against a backdrop of campaigns for and against gun control.

From a youth hockey association in North Dakota to a candidate fundraiser in Missouri, gun raffles generate deep debate. But an attorney with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence says he knows of no state that prohibits firearms raffles.

The chiefs association posted a letter on its website defending the raffle and saying tragedies like Sandy Hook are contrary to responsible and lawful gun ownership.

- AP