Canada Mass Shooting Inquiry Calls For Stricter Gun Control Laws
Facts
- The final report issued by the Mass Casualty Commission investigating Canada's worst mass shooting in its province of Nova Scotia in 2020 has called for overhauling the country's federal police force and stricter gun regulations.1
- Released Thursday, the inquiry claimed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) missed red flags bout the gunman's violent behavior in the years leading up to the fatal rampage.2
- The findings also claim the RCMP was unprepared and untrained to handle the scale of the incident and mismanaged internal as well as public communication, including failing to send out timely alerts to people with a description of the shooter.3
- In addition, the investigators found that the gunman illegally owned at least five firearms, including three smuggled into Canada from the US, and recommended that the federal government make stricter gun laws, including establishing limits on the possession of ammunition.4
- It also focused on reducing gender-based violence, claiming that men perpetrate nearly all mass casualties and calling on governments and other organizations to take a systemic approach to support female survivors of attacks.2
- On April 18-19, 2020, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, posing as a police officer and driving a replica of an RCMP cruiser, shot and killed 22 people before police killed him at a gas station.5
Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Cbc, 3Abc news, 4Reuters and 5BBC News.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by Newswire.ca. The Mass Casualty Commission’s report sheds light on the growing problem of gun violence in Canada. Its thorough examination and recommendations will hopefully lead authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure that the country will never experience an event like that again. The 'right to bear arms' isn't part of Canada's laws, and bold measures need to be taken to remove guns from Canada's streets.
- Right narrative, as provided by Canadian coalition for firearm rights. The Mass Casualty Commission’s report is manipulating one of Canada’s most deadly tragedies to push the Liberal gun ban agenda. While measures to prevent tragic attacks like the one in Nova Scotia should undoubtedly be implemented, waging an assault on Canada's police force and legal gun owners isn't the right course of action.