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In a tragic incident at Tumbler Ridge, nestled in the Canadian Rockies over 1,000 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, at least nine individuals lost their lives and 25 others sustained injuries. The attacker, identified by authorities as Jesse Van Rootselaar, was later found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound.
This devastating event occurs as Canada continues to implement stringent firearm regulations, a response to the 2020 Nova Scotia shooting spree that claimed 22 lives. In the aftermath, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government initiated a ban on more than 2,500 models of assault-style firearms.
Among the weapons prohibited is the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, which has been notoriously used in multiple mass shootings across the United States. The Canadian government’s move reflects a broader effort to enhance public safety and prevent similar tragedies.
It prompted the government of then-prime minister Justin Trudeau to begin banning more than 2500 makes and models of assault-style guns.
They included the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle wielded by gunmen during mass shootings in the United States.
Impacted Canadian gun owners have until March 31 to hand in their weapons and receive compensation. After that deadline, they won’t be compensated – but they’ll still have to return their firearms.
”Canada actually has a fairly high rate of civilian gun ownership compared to other advanced democracies,” Blake Brown, a professor at Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia and expert on Canadian gun control, told CNN.
The country has around 37.4 civilian firearms per 100 people, compared to 14.5 in Australia, according to a 2017 release from the Small Arms Survey.
Brown also says some gun owners have proven reluctant to participate in the government buyback scheme.
Part of the reason is lobbying by Canada’s small but vocal gun lobby and opposition from the country’s centre-right Conservative Party.
“I think many people might assume that Canada’s a place without many guns or really strong gun laws,” Brown said.
“And in fact, there are a fair number of guns and the gun laws – although they’re good in some ways – there’s still weaknesses that get exploited.”
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