US Gun Control Policies
The US stands out for lack of policy response after mass shootings.
October 9, 2015
1. The UK experienced mass shootings in 1987 and 1996, which prompted major policy changes.
2. The UK subsequently banned most military-style long guns after the first mass shooting and many handguns after the second.
3. Canada added similar measures to existing controls after a domestic terrorist attack in 1989, while Australia did the same after a shooting in 1996.
World Leader on Mass Shootings
4. Most advanced democracies, including European Union members, have much stricter civilian gun control laws than the United States.
5. These measures typically include a national license requirement, a national gun registry, universal background checks, firearm storage rules and safety training requirements.
6. Others include ammunition restrictions and barriers to domestic abusers owning guns.
7. None of these rules exist in the United States at the national level and individual U.S. states have generally not gone much farther on their own.
8. Washington, D.C., which does have strict regulations in place, faces pressure from the U.S. Congress and federal courts to loosen its regulations.
9. In addition, no G7 country other than the U.S. currently offers a legal right to gun ownership.
10. These countries generally began to restrict or monitor civilian gun ownership starting in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.
Sources: The Globalist Research Center, BBC, Washington Post, Mother Jones, The Hill
Takeaways
Washington DC faces pressure from the US Congress and federal courts to loosen its gun regulations.
Most advanced democracies, including EU members, have stricter civilian gun control laws than the US.
The UK experienced mass shootings in 1987 and 1996, which prompted major policy changes.