Prime Minister Ardern announced Thursday a series of new regulations that will go into effect in response to the Christchurch shooting, including a ban on military-style semi-automatic and assault rifles. This plan comes just six days after the shooting and will go into effect within the month.
The Prime Minister also detailed that parts used to convert guns into semi-automatics will be banned. The country will also be instating a gun buyback program as well as an “amnesty scheme” in order to collect the current weapons citizens may have. Steps have already been taken to prevent an increase in prohibited gun purchases before the law goes into full effect.
Last Friday 50 people were killed and dozen injured at two mosques in a New Zealand terrorist attack. The shooting, which targetted Christchurch’s small Muslim community, was the deadliest shooting in New Zealand’s history. New Zealand took immediate action on this issue in order to prevent any future mass shootings, unlike countries like the U.S. that have countless shootings every year.
There have already been 73 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2019 alone. No actions have been taken by the government in order to protect citizens and prevent future shootings. New Zealand serves as an example of the legal actions that need to be taken in order to control mass shootings and prevent innocent deaths.
Media: CNN 2019; Vox 2019; ABC 2019; MST 2019
