Sweden said on Friday it would draft a bill with changes to its arms law in order to limit access to semi-automatic firearms. The move comes after a gunman killed ten people before taking his own life in a mass shooting earlier this week at an educational facility in Orebro.
The government said in a statement that some weapons were so dangerous that only exceptionally should the civilians be allowed to possess them. The tightening of controls on semi-automatic weapons is included in the proposal. The Sweden Democrats, which back the current government, say they support the proposal.
It was a statement to have taken notice of the pressing need to speak about gun legislation in the face of growing violence. According to the police investigations, they found numerous long-barreled weapons and ten magazines, all empty at the scene of the crime. They did not say what type of firearms they found, but authorities identified the suspect as licensure for four weapons – three that were found near him.
Semi-automatic weapons, especially those like the AR-15 described by the government as one firearm capable of causing extreme damage quickly, have been targeted specifically. In 2023, its use had been approved for hunting by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, but the government intends to try and reverse this decision.
Beyond that, the proposed amendments will review the criteria on suitability for possessing firearms after a recent investigation showed existing requirements might not be clear enough. The inquiry, in fact, showed that violent individuals could get hunting licenses to obtain semi-automatic rifles.
Besides this, the coalition government also promised to increase coordination between police and social services about persons who must be reported because of medical unsuitability. Police continue with investigations as details of what led to the shooting remain unclear yet.
According to Anna Bergqvist of the police, who leads the investigation, the victims are of different nationality, gender, and age. An eyewitness account included a video shared by one student who recorded it from the bathroom while chaos was going on in the corridor, with gunshots and shouting, “You will leave Europe!”
The Syrian embassy in Stockholm said at least two victims were Syrian citizens, while Bosnia’s foreign ministry identified one victim as a Bosnian woman. A few victims remain unidentified, but police say they should be identified shortly.
Swedish media reported the suspect’s name as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, but this has not been confirmed. Reports say he lived locally in isolation and struggled with psychological problems.
