Sweden plans to tighten its gun legislation in the aftermath of this week’s fatal school shooting in the city of Örebro, according to a statement from the Swedish government published on Friday.
“The horrific act of violence in Örebro raises several key issues regarding gun control legislation,” the statement said.
The legislation would restrict access to certain semi-automatic weapons and revise the rules for vetting gun owners.
On Tuesday, 11 people were killed by gunfire, including the suspected perpetrator, at an adult education centre in the city of Örebro, about 200 kilometres west of Stockholm.
Six people were hospitalized with injuries, some of which were life-threatening.
Police said the suspected shooter owned four firearms, three of which were found at the scene, as well as the corresponding licences for them.
The government statement noted that weapons such as the AR-15 assault rifle could cause a lot of damage in a short period of time.
Civilians should therefore only be allowed to possess them in exceptional cases, it said.
In addition, the statement said the Swedish weapons act should clearly specify what should be checked before a firearms licence is granted, and proposed that checks include factors such as age, possible violations of the law and “certain medical conditions”.
Investigators have said the alleged shooter in Örebro was previously unknown to the police.
They believe he acted alone and that the shooting was not an act of terrorism, but the motive for the crime remains unclear.
