After mosque massacre, NZ PM vows review of gun laws
Ardern also confirmed that the gunman and two suspected associates who were also arrested had not been on the radar of any intelligence agencies.
Christchurch: New Zealand’s Prime Minister vowed to toughen the country’s gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man charged with murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre.
Jacinda Ardern said the gunman, a 28-year-old Australian, obtained a “Category A” gun licence in November 2017 and began purchasing the five weapons used in Friday’s attacks in the southern city of Christchurch the following month.
The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns and a lever-action weapon, she said, speaking to reporters in Wellington, before heading to Christchurch. “The mere fact... That this individual had acquired a gun licence and acquired weapons of that range, then obviously I think people will be seeking change, and I’m committing to that,” she said. “While work is being done as to the chain of events that led to both the holding of this gun licence, and the possession of these weapons, I can tell you one thing right now — our gun laws will change.” Ardern noted several earlier attempts to reform the laws in 2005, 2012 and 2017. She said options to consider would include a ban on semi-automatic weapons.
She also confirmed that the gunman and two suspected associates who were also arrested had not been on the radar of any intelligence agencies.