Realizing thoughts and prayers alone don’t end mass shootings, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the ban of military style assault weapon sales to civilians.
The announcement came just six days after a white supremacist killed 50 people in two mosques during prayer.
Ardern promised to change the country’s gun laws within 10 days and delivered a framework proposal 4 days earlier. The ban outlaws all military style semi automatic assault guns, high capacity magazines and tools that can be used to modify them.
People breaking the law will be subject to $4,000 in fines or 3 years in prison.
Simon Bridges, New Zeland’s opposition party leader has come out in support of gun law reforms in a message posted in his Twitter account.
National will support firearms reforms. We have been clear since this devastating attack that we will work constructively with the Government. https://t.co/vZCVnd2lID
— Simon Bridges (@simonjbridges) March 21, 2019
New Zealand’s fast response to reform gun laws with the goal of preventing more mass shootings, has impressed many Americans, who have watched helplessly as politicians refuse to change gun laws to limit access to military style assault weapons that have been used in multiple mass shootings in the US claiming hundreds of lives including children.
We will continue to update this story.