Government Discusses Higher Barriers for Gun Ownership

After the rampage in Graz with eleven dead at a Graz school, the coalition parties are now discussing how and where to raise the hurdles for gun ownership. There are already political discussions, as stated by the Federal Chancellery on Friday in response to an APA inquiry. They did not want to comment on specific content for the time being. Meanwhile, over 60,000 people have signed a petition by the initiative #aufstehn for a ban on private gun ownership.

Perpetrator owned weapons legally

The perpetrator legally owned the weapons with which he killed people at the school. In March, he passed a psychological test at a civilian authority, which allowed him to legally acquire a pistol. However, the military had identified the psychological instability of the Graz resident.

Why he was still able to obtain the weapons was also a topic at the Security Council on Thursday evening. All parties agree that measures must fundamentally follow, even the FPÖ does not want to oppose "sensible improvements." Security spokesperson Gernot Darmann suggested raising the age limit for purchasing category-C weapons, which is currently 18 years.

Use of conscription data to be discussed

However, even among the Freedom Party, there is a lack of understanding that conscription data is not used for obtaining a gun ownership card. These are classified as "confidential" and may not be shared without the consent of the individual concerned. Instead, a psychological test must be completed at a civilian authority.

According to the Chancellery, in addition to the general criteria for gun ownership, the use of position data should also be politically discussed. Talks between ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS are already underway, it was said. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) also advocated for access to data from the position authorities before the Council of Interior Ministers in Luxembourg.

The former police officer, negotiation specialist, and ÖVP state parliament member Hamedl reminded on Friday that there had already been a request from the Styrian state parliament to the federal government in September 2007, demanding an amendment to the Weapons Act. This involved a central management of data concerning reliability checks, particularly the commissioned psychological assessments.

The establishment of a central file concerning the completion of weapons psychological tests would primarily bring more transparency regarding the activities of assessors and would undoubtedly have positive effects for the efficient enforcement of the Weapons Act, Hamedl and his parliamentary colleague Peter Rieser argued at the time. In his role as a negotiator in hostage situations and suicide intentions, Hamedl had repeatedly contributed to saving lives. He also initiated the "Men's Emergency Call" in Styria, which aims to provide men with a point of contact to prevent, among other things, outbreaks of violence.

"Austria has one of the most lenient gun laws in Europe"

Since Wednesday, over 60,000 people have signed the online appeal of the initiative #aufstehn for an immediate ban on firearms for private individuals. The demand is directed at Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and the federal government. "Austria has one of the most lenient gun laws in Europe," criticizes Philine Dressler, campaign manager at #aufstehn. Officially, more than 1.5 million firearms are registered in Austrian private ownership, with a rising trend.

(APA/Red)

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