By AFPMore by this AuthorCHRISTCHURCH,New Zealand's prime minister vowed to toughen the country's gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man accused of murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre. THE LAWSNew Zealand tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a mentally ill man shot dead 13 people in the southern town of Aramoana. Anyone over 16 can apply for a New Zealand firearms licence, valid for 10 years after completing a safety course and a police background check. Separate "endorsements" are required to own semi-automatic weapons like those used in Friday's attack, as well as pistols and other restricted weapons. Ardern noted the failure of several earlier attempts to reform gun laws and said a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered.

Source: Daily Nation March 16, 2019 04:18 UTC