In wake of Christchurch mosque attacks, dozens of New Zealanders give up weapons as gun buyback scheme gets underway
FirstpostNew Zealanders handed in their firearms as a gun buyback scheme went into operation aimed at ridding the country of semi-automatic weapons in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks. Christchurch: Dozens of New Zealanders handed in their firearms on Saturday as a gun buyback scheme went into operation aimed at ridding the country of semi-automatic weapons in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks. The regional police commander Mike Johnson said 903 gun owners in the Canterbury area had registered 1,415 firearms to be handed in. He added that “a person can do a lot of damage to a lot of people… if you are mentally unwell and you have a weapon that can shoot 100 rounds a minute.” Australian-born Brenton Tarrant has been charged with the killings and is alleged to have used an arsenal of five weapons, including two military-style semi-automatic rifles, in the attacks on two mosques.