New Zealand yesterday announced plans for a national firearms register in its second round of gun law reforms following the Christchurch mosque attacks, which killed 51 Muslim worshipers.
Regulations around who could hold firearm licenses would also be tightened to “stop weapons falling into the wrong hands,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
The March 15 killings, when a gunman opened fire at two Christchurch mosques as worshipers gathered for Friday prayers, had changed attitudes toward gun ownership in New Zealand, Ardern said.
“There is a new normal around firearms, it is a change of mindset,” she told reporters. “The most dangerous weapons are being taken out of circulation.”
The government’s initial response to the attack was an immediate ban on the military style semi-automatic rifles used in the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history.
The latest changes were needed to keep track of firearms in the community, New Zealand Police Minister Stuart Nash said.
“Under the current law, we do not know exactly how many guns are in circulation, who owns them, who is selling them, who is buying them or how securely they are stored,” he said.
The register, which is expected to take five years to complete, would contain details of the estimated 1.2 million firearms in New Zealand, for a population of about 5 million.
The second round of gun law reform also includes a ban on foreign nationals purchasing firearms — the accused Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant is an Australian who allegedly bought an arsenal of rifles while living in New Zealand.
It also bars people with convictions for violence, gang activity, and drug or firearm offenses from holding a license.
A nationwide buyback scheme including 250 “collection events” run by police, was launched this month.
The buyback allows the public to hand in weapons before a six-month amnesty expires.
There was a strong response during the first week of the buyback, with more than 11,000 prohibited firearms and parts handed in, Nash said.
“Firearms owners want to do the right thing,” he added. “Many events have seen people queueing before the doors open, ready to hand in firearms, parts and ammunition.”
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