In this photo released by New Zealand Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, center, meets representatives of the Muslim community, Saturday, March 16, 2019, at the Canterbury Refugee Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. (New Zealand Prime Minister Office via AP)Associated PressNew Zealand has agreed to move forward with tighter gun control, three days after a man killed at least 50 worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch.
"Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news conference on Monday.
Ardern said the terror attacks on city's Al Noor and Linwood mosques "exposed a range of weaknesses in New Zealand's gun laws."
In this image made from video, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives a press conference from Wellington, after the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. Ardern said the values of her country would not be "shaken" by the deadly attacks that left dozens dead.(TVNZ via AP)At 1:40 p.m. local time on Friday, a man opened fire on worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch with a semi-automatic weapon, killing 50 and injuring scores more.
The suspect, Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, was charged with murder late on Friday. He appeared in court on Saturday, made a white power sign, and reportedly smirked at media in attendance.
Ardern said on Monday: "These aren't simple areas of law. So that's simply what we'll be taking the time to get right."
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Friday Ardern had told media: "I can tell you one thing right now: our gun laws will change. There have been attempts to change our laws in 2005, 2012 and after an inquiry in 2017. Now is the time for change."
This image taken from CCTV video obtained by the state-run Turkish broadcaster TRT World and made available on Saturday, March 16, 2016, shows the arrival of who it says is Brenton Tarrant, the suspect in the New Zealand mosque attacks, in Istanbul's Ataturk International airport in Turkey on March 2016. A senior Turkish official says the suspect arrested in the New Zealand mosque attack traveled to Turkey multiple times and spent what the official called an "extended period of time in the country. He says the suspect may have also traveled to countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The official says an investigation is underway of "the suspect's movements and contacts within the country." (TRT World via AP)Associated PressThe man charged in the case bought several guns with ammunition online from Christchurch's 'Gun City' store between November 2017 and March 2018, the company's owner David Tipple said in a press conference on Monday.
The semi-automatic assault rifle believed to have been used in the attack was not sold by Gun City, he said.
On Sunday, New Zealand's attorney general David Parker said the Government would likely ban semi-automatic rifles, but then back-tracked.
New Zealand's gun laws are fairly unique. Would-be gun owners have to be 16 to own a gun and 18 to use a semi-automatic weapon, according to the 1983 Arms Act.
Licenses are mandatory, but each individual weapon does not have to be brought to the attention of the licencor, unless they are military-grade, like semi-automatic weapons.
Background checks are in place for those who want a license, which include criminal and medical records.
New Zealand Police said that the suspect was not on a terror watch list, and Tipple said they saw nothing unusual in the gun licence the suspect used to purchase weapons.