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The official punishment for a violent crime committed with a firearm in China is the death penalty. There have been five mass shooting events in China since 1980, resulting in 19 total deaths in 40 years.
Gun permits are exceedingly rare and almost exclusively doled out to members of the police force and the military. Any individual caught possessing a firearm may be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, and six canings. Since Singapore became an independent state in 1965, there have been zero mass shootings or killings in the city-state.
The United Kingdom distributes permits for hunting rifles and shotguns to citizens who have gone through a thorough and comprehensive application process. Other types of firearms, including pistols and semi-automatic rifles, are outlawed. Certain territories such as the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland have slightly different rules.
Many believe the comprehensive firearm regulations put in place in Japan are to thank for the country's impressively low rate of gun violence. While it is possible to obtain a permit for certain shotguns and air guns, the application involves intensive written and field exams, drug tests, and thorough background checks.
A consensus has yet to be reached on what exactly constitutes a mass shooting, or any mass act of violence for that matter, and several common definitions exist. A number of factors are taken into consideration when distinguishing a mass shooting from other violent crimes.
While there have been a number of massacres involving chemicals, arson, and automobiles in Japan in the last century, there have been zero mass shooting incidents. There are 0.02 gun-related deaths per year in Japan per 100,000 residents.
Licenses are only given to individuals with a "genuine reason" that necessitates their possession of a gun, and self-defense is not considered a valid genuine reason. Since 1996, the rate of mass shootings plummeted, but the incidents did not disappear altogether. But since the ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, no single firearm incident death toll has surpassed five people.
The Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore has some of the strictest laws concerning firearms and other weapons in the world. Guns aside, weapons such as knives, brass knuckles, and even pepper sprays require a government license.
Following a number of mass shootings including the Erfurt school massacre of 2002 and the Winnenden school shooting of 2009, each of which resulted in the deaths of 16 children and staff members, Germany enacted a slew of new regulations to tighten gun control. Today, Germany has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, but one of the lowest rates of gun violence, due to the majority of owned guns in Germany being used for sport shooting and hunting. Private ownership for the purpose of self-defense is not permitted in Germany.
The first and only mass shooting in Norway occurred in 2011 when right-wing extremist Anders Breivik first detonated a car bomb in central Oslo, killing eight people, and some hours later opened fire at a youth summer camp, murdering another 67 children and adults. It was the most violent event in Norway since World War II.
Sources: (Axios) (CNN) (RAND Corporation) (GunPolicy.org)
See also: Stars' emotional messages for stricter gun control
China's gun laws are also incredibly strict. Only members of the police and the military are allowed to carry firearms, and anyone caught possessing an illicit firearm is subject to a prison sentence anywhere from three years up to life without parole. Hunting licenses are given in some occasions, and a few ethnic minorities are allowed to possess traditional gunpowder muskets for cultural reasons.
There have been five events that fit the criteria of a mass shooting in the United Kingdom. After the 1987 Hungerford massacre that resulted in the tragic murders of 16 people, the UK government quickly passed the Firearms Act of 1988, banning the possession of semi-automatic rifles and high capacity shotguns. The Firearms Act of 1997, which was swiftly enacted after the Dunblane school massacre, effectively banned the private possession of all handguns. There have been two mass shootings in the UK since 1997.
While most gun violence in Brazil is caused by gang-related activity and police interventions, the South American nation is no stranger to indiscriminate massacres. Major school shootings have occurred in 2011, 2017, and 2019, leaving dozens dead.
Germany's firearm regulation are relatively tight and comprehensive. Ownership permits can be issued to citizens at least 18 years old, who can express a valid necessity for the firearm, and have passed a thorough background check and psychological exam. Carry permits are only given to those with an exceptional need for the firearm, such as private security forces, celebrities, or politicians.
Australia's firearm regulations were relatively relaxed before the Port Arthur massacre of 1996, during which 35 people were murdered by Martin Bryant. The same year, Australia banned the sale and possession of automatic and semi-automatic rifles, and required licenses for hunting rifles, pistols, and shotguns.
The United States routinely sees more mass shootings annually than any other country on earth. Firearm regulation varies by state; some states conduct thorough background checks and prohibit concealed carry, while other states such as Kansas require no permit or background check to buy or carry a gun as long as the individual is 18 years old.
By May 25, 145 days into 2022, the United States had already suffered 213 mass shootings, with 27 of those shooting having taken place at schools. In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, gun-related deaths were the leading cause of death for children in the United States, beating out car accidents for the first time. There have been no substantial changes to federal firearm legislation in the 10 years since 26 children and adults were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.
Automatic weapons are banned across the board in Norway, but local police forces may grant permits for semi-automatic weapons at their discretion. They can also revoke these permits at their discretion, if they decide the individual no longer needs the firearm.
Brazil has a highly publicized issue with gun violence. In 2019 alone, there were 49,436 gun-related deaths in the country. Gun control is relatively lax, with an age requirement of 25, a relatively cheap annual fee, and a psychological exam.
Turkey has been the victim of a number of high-profile terrorist attacks and mass shooting incidents. The New Year's Day nightclub shooting in 2017 left 39 people dead and dozens more wounded shortly after midnight at the hands of Abdulkadir Masharipov, who later admitted to training with the terrorist group ISIL.
Turkey's laws regarding firearms prohibit the sale or possession of automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Permits for other firearms require background checks and often doctor's certificates attesting to the applicant's mental and physical health. Like many other nations, the United States excluded, applicants must provide a "genuine reason" for their desire or necessity to own a gun, and after all this the licenses can be prohibitively expensive.
Gun-related violence was relatively rare in Switzerland for most of the nation's history, but in recent decades Switzerland has followed the global trends of increased violence. In 2017, an ideologically motivated attack was carried out at the Zürich Islamic Center by a 24-year-old Swiss citizen wielding a legally-obtained firearm. While numerous people were injured, there were no deaths.
Gun laws are relatively lax and loosely defined in India. Federal law states that licenses can be granted to any citizen with a "good reason" for possession, although that term doesn't seem to be elaborated on. It is, however, specified that individuals may not possess any automatic weapons.
Despite the background checks and psychological exams, Russia witnesses numerous mass shootings every year. Recently, in April 2022, a 26-year-old man entered a Russian kindergarten and murdered two teachers and two toddlers before turning the gun on himself.
Caused in no small part to a national heritage deeply invested in hunting and sport shooting, Switzerland has some of the most lenient gun laws in the world, as well as one of the most well-armed populations. Many weapons, including automatic rifles, may be purchased with only a background check.
Gun violence is not uncommon in India, although it appears close to 90% of gun-related crime in the country is committed with unlicensed firearms. Most violent attacks in recent years have been carried out or orchestrated by anti-government Naxalite militants.
Russia has a moderately lenient but thorough gun regulation system. Russian citizens above the age of 18 can purchase shotguns and other smooth-bore firearms after a course of practical training and thorough background checks. After five years of responsibly owning a smooth-bore firearm, citizens are permitted to purchase rifles.
The three primary factors taken into account when defining a mass shooting are the number of casualties, the location of the attack, and the motivation of the shooter. One of the most commonly used definitions, that will also be used here, supplied by the Mass Shooting Tracker database, defines a mass shooting as an indiscriminate attack resulting in four or more casualties, not including the shooter, in any public space. Most definitions also distinguish mass shootings from mass casualty events linked to armed robbery, gang violence, or familicide.
Since the destabilization of Yemen and the start of its civil war in 2015, weapons sales have broken free of all semblance of regulation. Many of the weapons used in the Yemeni civil war are of European and North American make.
The Middle Eastern nation of Yemen is the second most heavily armed country on earth, second only to the United States. Similar to the US, arming oneself is considered a right, rather than a privilege, and there are no restrictions regarding who can purchase what type of firearm. Carrying in rural areas is unrestricted, while licenses are required to openly carry most types of guns in metropolitan areas.
On May 30, 2022, Canada announced their intention to introduce new gun control laws. If passed, the legislation would enforce a nationwide freeze on the sale of handguns, and see the introduction of a "red flag" policy allowing judges to order the removal of legal firearms from owners deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. There will also be stricter penalties for those caught trafficking or smuggling arms. Officials are calling it “the most significant action on gun violence in a generation." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced the implementation of a mandatory buy-back program that will provide compensation to those handing in firearms that are now banned. Canada suffered its deadliest mass shooting in 2020 when a man posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia. Following the devastating attack, the government banned 1,500 makes and models of assault-style weapons.
On June 25, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, gun-safety legislation which he called the most significant of its kind in decades. Though it isn't as big a reform as some had hoped, the bill restricts firearms access for the youngest buyers and offers incentives for states to set up "red flag" laws. It will also put aside federal funding for mental health programs and school security upgrades, and close the so-called "boyfriend loophole" by banning those convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun, not just those who are married to their victims or live with them, BBC reported. The National Rifle Association opposed the bill, but it was the first time in decades that the reforms received support from both Democrats and Republicans.
More than 200 mass shootings occurred in the US in the first half of 2022 alone, including the devastating supermarket shooting in Buffalo and the Uvalde school shooting which together left 31 people dead. Now is as good a time as any to look not only inwards but also outwards to the other countries of the world, to see what their regulations look like, and how they reflect in the safety of their populations.
Read on to learn more about gun policies, mass shootings, and their relationships in countries around the world.
Global gun control at a glance: How the world handles mass shootings
Joe Biden signed landmark gun control bill into law in 2022
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More than 200 mass shootings occurred in the US in the first half of 2022 alone, including the devastating supermarket shooting in Buffalo and the Uvalde school shooting which together left 31 people dead. Now is as good a time as any to look not only inwards but also outwards to the other countries of the world, to see what their regulations look like, and how they reflect in the safety of their populations.
Read on to learn more about gun policies, mass shootings, and their relationships in countries around the world.