Firearm owners reject call for change:
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