New Zealand’s governor general on Thursday formally signed into effect sweeping gun laws outlawing military style weapons, less than a month after a man used such guns to kill 50 people and wound dozens at two mosques in Christchurch.

Governor General Patsy Reddy signed the bill as police said a gun buyback program will be announced to collect the now-banned weapons. The weapons will be illegal starting at midnight, but police said a brief amnesty program will be in effect until details of the buyback are announced.

“For people who find themselves now in possession of a prohibited firearm, we ask you to please notify us,” Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Clement said. “The collection of firearms will occur at a later stage. ”

He added that “for now, there is an amnesty in place and we ask people to please notify us,” he added.

Anyone who retains such a weapon now faces a penalty of up to five years in prison. Exemptions allow heirloom weapons held by collectors or weapons used for professional pest control.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed by a final vote of 119 to 1 legislation banning the weapons after an accelerated process of debate and public submission.

“The Government acted quickly to change New Zealand’s firearms laws and Police is now responsible for implementing and enforcing these new laws,” Clement said.

Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, was charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder. The royal commission set up to investigate issues surrounding the massacre is examining how he obtained a gun license in New Zealand and purchased weapons and ammunition.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke emotionally during the bill’s final reading of the traumatic injuries suffered by victims of the March 15 attack, whom she visited in Christchurch Hospital after the shootings.

“I struggle to recall any single gunshot wounds,” Ardern said. “In every case they spoke of multiple injuries, multiple debilitating injuries that deemed it impossible for them to recover in days, let alone weeks. They will carry disabilities for a lifetime, and that’s before you consider the psychological impact. We are here for them.”

“I could not fathom how weapons that could cause such destruction and large-scale death could be obtained legally in this country,” she said.

Ardern, who has won international praise for her compassion and leadership since the shootings, was able to win rare bipartisan support for a bill that makes it illegal to own a military-style semi-automatic rifle. The only dissent was from the libertarian ACT Party’s lone lawmaker in Parliament.

Related Stories
‹
Mosque Massacre Suspect to Face 89 Charges in Court Friday
The man accused of carrying out the Christchurch mosque attacks will face 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges when he makes his second court appearance, New Zealand police said Thursday. Police had earlier filed a single, representative murder charge against 28-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant. He is due to appear via video link […]
New Zealand Initiates Bill to Ban Guns Used in Mosque Attack
New Zealand’s government on Monday introduced a bill it plans to rush into law that would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques. Police Minister Stuart Nash said that if lawmakers pass the bill as expected, the new law will take effect April 12, less than a […]
New Zealand Citizens Open to Gun Reform After Massacre
The New Zealand leader’s promise of tightened gun laws in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings has been widely welcomed by a stunned population. Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern said her Cabinet will consider the details of the changes on Monday. She has said options include a ban on private ownership of semi-automatic rifles that […]
Mosque Killer's Rifles Bore White-Supremacist References
The self-proclaimed racist who attacked a New Zealand mosque conducting Friday prayers during an assault that killed 49 people opened fire with rifles covered in white-supremacist graffiti and listened to a song glorifying a Bosnian Serb war criminal. These details highlight the toxic belief system behind an unprecedented, live-streamed massacre, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern […]
Seen Abroad as a Leader on Indigenous Rights, New Zealand Enters a Divisive New Era
Māori culture and language has exploded in popularity to become part of daily life in New Zealand. But some use it to cause fraught debate.
Gunman Kills 2 People in New Zealand Hours Ahead of First Game in Women’s World Cup
Written by NICK PERRY AND JENNA FRYER A gunman opened fire on terrified workers on a construction site in downtown Auckland early Thursday, killing two people hours before New Zealand hosted the first game of the Women’s World Cup. The man was found dead, and authorities said his motive appeared to be connected to his previous work […]
Suicides and Homicides Among Young Americans Jumped Early in the Pandemic, Study Says
Written by MIKE STOBBE The homicide rate for older U.S. teenagers rose to its highest point in nearly 25 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the suicide rate for adults in their early 20s was the worst in more than 50 years, government researchers said Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report examined the homicide […]
Chapel Hill Community Holds Annual Gun Violence Awareness Rally
Activists, organizations, and city council members took a stand against gun violence in Chapel Hill's annual gun violence awareness rally.
School Gun Case Sparks Debate Over Safety and Second Chances
Written by MARTHA IRVINE Keyon Robinson was just a month away from graduating from high school when he took a loaded gun, placed it in his backpack and headed to campus. He’d fought with a relative that morning. He was angry, and scared someone would come after him. The firearm, a Glock-style ghost gun with no serial […]
Cancellation of Atlanta Festival Sparks New Fight Over Guns
Written by SUDHIN THANAWALA Tens of thousands of Music Midtown festivalgoers are no longer going to descend on Atlanta’s massive Piedmont Park next month to cheer on hip-hop star Future or watch beloved rock band My Chemical Romance take the stage. In fact, some people are convinced Atlanta — center of the nation’s hip-hop music […]
›