Firearm owners rejecting call for change:‘We are not terrorists’
An urgent call for an immediate moratorium on firearm sales in New Zealand has been issued by academics.
It comes as semi-automatic weapons, the type used by accused mass murderer and selfdescribed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 28, are reportedly being quickly bought up by gun licence holders fearing a ban of the weapons.
On Friday, Tarrant entered two mosques in Christchurch armed with five weapons, including two semi-automatic rifles and two shotguns, and shot dead 50 people.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand’s gun laws would change, and a moratorium would be discussed by the Cabinet along with gun law policy today.
Ardern had heard reports of elevated gun purchases, and was seeking verified information and advice on this.
‘‘We cannot be deterred from the work we need to do on our gun laws in New Zealand, they need to change.’’
Dr Marie Russell and Dr Hera Cook, of University of Otago’s department of public health, said an urgent and immediate moratorium on sales and imports was required to prevent a rush of gun purchases.
‘‘Many New Zealanders are, like us, worried about the number of firearms in New Zealand,’’ Russell said.
The researchers also want semi-automatics removed from dealers and placed in police custody ‘‘within a limited period of time’’, as well as a police check on the owners of semi-automatics and pistols.
Legislation should change to ban private ownership of semiautomatics, put in place an amnesty or buy-back scheme, require the registration of all
firearms, and reduce licence terms.
‘‘For too long, firearms policy has been dictated by an active and influential gun lobby, whose vocal members have dissuaded governments from making meaningful change.’’
Council of Licensed Firearms Owners secretary Nicole McKee said an immediate ban would equate firearm owners with the killer.
‘‘We are not the terrorists, and if that sort of thing comes about then we are being thrown in the same category.
‘‘If that happens, he wins. It’s not about win or lose, it’s about a tragedy that occurred and how we can prevent it from occurring again.’’
McKee said she was unaware of reports semi-automatics being bought in fear of a law change.
She encouraged people to ‘‘stay calm’’ and support the affected in Christchurch.
Many arms dealers were not answering calls yesterday, or declined to comment.
On Facebook group Kiwi Gun Blog, popular with gun licence holders, many were discussing a high volume of semi-automatics being bought and sold in response to a potential law change.
Dmitri Osipov, owner of the Lock, Stock & Smoking Barrel vintage arms store in Auckland, said he received four orders for firearms on Saturday.
He normally only sells one firearm every two weeks.
‘‘So they probably try to buy when they can, fearing that it will be much more difficult to buy later.’’
Osipov was concerned about his business, but said the change ‘‘should’ve happened a long time ago’’ as ‘‘it’s too easy for people to buy guns.’’
Wayne Chapman, from Upper Hutt’s The Gunshop, said his shop had been closed over the weekend, so he hadn’t seen ‘‘panic buying’’ of guns in his store.
However, he said people would rush to buy weapons. He had seen comments on social media that gun shops across the country ‘‘have had busy days’’, particularly with their lower-value stock.
‘‘Sadly we tend to make a lot of decisions based on illogical and emotive fears rather than on facts.’’