Status: 07.06.2022 10:16 a.m
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New York was the first US state to react to the recent gun attacks in the country and tightened gun laws. New York previously had one of the strictest gun laws in the United States.
After a racially motivated gun attack at a supermarket in the US city of Buffalo, New York state has restricted access to firearms. “Thoughts and prayers won’t solve the problem, but strong action will,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said, alluding to many Republicans’ reserved response to gun violence.
The reform passed by parliament last week and now announced by Hochul raises the minimum age for owning semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. In addition, the sale of large-capacity magazines and protective vests will be restricted. In addition, there are stricter preliminary checks of assault rifle buyers. The possibilities for confiscation of weapons from endangered persons are also being expanded.
Ten dead in Buffalo gun attack
On May 14, an 18-year-old shot dead ten people with an assault rifle in and in front of a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, for racist reasons, almost all of the victims were black people. He was charged with terrorism and murder.
The attack and the school massacre in Texas that killed 19 children at the end of May sparked renewed debate about tightening gun laws across the country. However, this has been blocked for years by Republicans and rural Democrats. Even before the Buffalo attack, New York had one of the toughest gun laws in the United States.
The US has long struggled with massive levels of gun violence. In 2020, gun injuries were the number one killer of children and adolescents in the United States, ahead of traffic accidents.
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