(ETH) – Canada is preparing to announce that it is banning 11 categories of assault rifles and other weapons, including those that have been used in mass shootings, according to a report from Reuters. This new crackdown comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has made promises that it would clamp down on firearms, citing a spike in gun crime.
According to the report, Officials are stating that the new measures that will apply to about 125,000 weapons – had been in the works for months and were not directly prompted by a shooting rampage in Atlantic Canada earlier this month, where a gunman armed with weapons that included an assault rifle murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia. The Police report stated that nine of the victims died in fires the man had set, while the rest were killed by gunfire.
This new firearm ban will further tighten gun controls that are already much stricter than those in the United States. According to Reuters, the announcement could come as soon as this Friday. “We have long been committed to strengthening gun control in this country, including banning military-style assault weapons,” Trudeau told reporters on Thursday. “There is no need in Canada for guns designed to kill the largest amount of people in the shortest amount of time,” he added, saying an announcement would be made in the coming days.
