In the worst ever terror attack in New Zealand, multiple gunmen carried out indiscriminate shootings at two mosques here during the Friday prayers, leaving 49 people dead and at least 48 wounded, besides giving a scare to the Bangladesh cricket team which had a narrow escape.
Using automatic weapons, the gunmen, four of whom have been taken into custody, launched a “well-planned” attack on the mosques when devotees had assembled for the weekly prayers. After the attack, the New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed to toughen the country’s gun laws.
While addressing media, Jacinda Ardern said the gunman, 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, obtained a “Category A” gun licence in November 2017 and began purchasing the five weapons used in 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. 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,” Jacinda Ardern told reporters.
What are the gun laws in New Zealand?
Relaxed laws
(Inputs from Agencies)
