New Zealand’s prime minister says her cabinet has backed gun law changes after the Christchurch mass shooting last Friday.
Calls for legal reform have grown after the attack, and Jacinda Ardern said: “Our gun laws will change”. It has been rumoured that Ardern had earlier said options on the table included a ban on semi-automatic rifles.
Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks at two mosques on Friday. Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has appeared in court and been charged with murder.
“This ultimately means that within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer.” – Arden explained “We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified.”
As New Zealand wrestles with the consequences of the tragedy, there have been unconfirmed reports of people handing in their guns to police. Arden encouraged others to follow suit. Referring to reports of people “panic-buying” weapons, Ardern said these were anecdotal and unconfirmed. She encouraged calm.