Photo: Geoff SloanMedia coverage of the March 15 mosque shootings contributed to an increase in public support for gun control, Otago University researchers say. Of the 749 reports that focused on the mosque shootings, only 53 (7.1 per cent) mentioned his name, and only twice did it appear in the headlines. Within a week of the mass shootings, the Government had announced a ban on military style semi-automatic weapons. The second tranche of gun control reforms, which includes a register for firearms, was passed by Parliament in June this year. Dr Every-Palmer said bipartisan support for gun control in New Zealand was also likely generated by the shootings which acted as a ‘focusing event’.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 28, 2020 00:00 UTC