Canada bans 1,500 models of assault weapons after mass shooting

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on May 1 announced a ban on assault rifles in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people. According to reports, Trudeau announced the ban of more than 1,500 models and variants of assault-style firearms, including AR-15 that has been used in mass shootings in North America. Trudeau said the ban will be effective immediately, adding that 'Canadians need more than just thoughts and prayers'. 

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Canada bans assault weapons

As per reports, Trudeau said the order has a two-year amnesty period for current owners and there will be a compensation program that will require a bill passed. Trudeau said that there is no need of military-grade assault weapons in Canada as it was made for only one purpose, killing a large number of people in a very short time. Trudeau said that he was nearby Montreal when in 1989 a gunman used Ruger Mini-14 to kill 14 women and himself at Ecole Polytechnique college. The Ruger Mini-14 is included in the list of assault rifles that are now banned in Canada. 

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"Because of gun violence, people are dying, families are grieving, and communities are suffering. It must end. Assault-style firearms designed for military use have no place in Canada. By removing them from our streets, we will limit the devastating effects of gun-related violence and help make our country safer," Trudeau said as per official website of Prime Minister of Canada. 

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On April 18 and 19, a man named Gabriel Wortman went on a shooting spree, setting fires at 16 different locations. The man killed 22 people and injured three others before he was shot and killed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Enfield. Wortman impersonated police personnel, using a police car and uniform while on the crime spree. Police are still investigating how Wortman managed to obtain firearms without a possession and acquisition licence. The massacre was the deadliest in Canadian history, surpassing the 1989 Montreal shooting. 

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(Image Credit: AP)