1 month ago
14
Joel Gunter
Reporting from Orebro
Sweden's government has announced plans to tighten its gun laws, days after the worst mass shooting in the country's history.
The gunman, who killed 10 people and himself at an adult education centre in Orebro on Tuesday, had four legally-owned rifles - three of which were found at the school, police said.
Sweden's centre-right coalition said it would seek to increase vetting for gun licenses and restrict access to semi-automatic weapons.
"There are certain types of weapons that are so dangerous that they should only be possessed for civilian purposes as an exception," the government said.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, on a visit to Latvia, told reporters: "We have to ensure that only the right people have guns in Sweden."
The Sweden Democrats said that it agreed with proposals to amend the law, including greater restrictions on access to semi-automatic weapons.
"The horrific act of violence in Orebro raises several key questions about gun legislation," the party said in a statement.
The AR-15, a particular style of semi-automatic rifle that is both powerful and can carry large magazines, and has been seen in many mass shootings in the US, was singled out by the government as an example.
None of the licenses the gunman had would have allowed an AR-15 weapon model, which have been permitted for hunting since August 2023.
Police have said that several long rifles were found at the site of the attack, along with 10 empty magazines.
Investigators have yet to publicly identify the victims, but said they hoped to conclude the identification process and make an announcement on Friday.
Among the victims were Syrians who fled the war there as refugees, as well as one Bosnian, according to family and community members.
Police have also yet to say anything about the killer's possible motive. Members of the Syrian orthodox community in Orebro told the BBC they feared he was driven by a hatred of foreigners.
Sweden has a relatively high level of gun ownership and gun crime, by European standards, though most weapons are legally owned and used for hunting.
Gun crime is mostly associated with gangs, who have also taken to using bombs to target one another.
Non gang-related gun crime is less rare, and Tuesday's attack was the nation's first school shooting and its worst mass shooting. A total of four people were killed in two separate school stabbings in 2015 and 2022.
