Austria’s coalition government is taking steps to tighten gun laws following a deadly school shooting that shocked the country last week.
A 21-year-old gunman killed 10 people and then himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz using a shotgun and Glock pistol he owned legally.
Austria has a relatively relaxed policy on firearms purchases when compared to other European countries, and the shooting has prompted the government to tighten some rules.
Current rules allow for shotgun purchases for any adult who has not been banned from owning weapons. Meanwhile, buying a Glock requires a gun permit pending a psychological test and a minimum age of 21.
Minimum age for gun ownership to be raised
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker introduced some of the proposed reforms during a press conference after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday in Vienna.
“We … promised that we would not go back to business as usual and that we would draw the right conclusions from this crime to live up to the responsibility we have,” Stocker said.
“Today’s cabinet decision shows that we are fulfilling that responsibility,” he added.
At the top of the list is raising the minimum age to buy a dangerous firearm from 21 to 25 years old.
The waiting period between purchase and receipt of a firearm will be raised from three days to four weeks. Newly issued gun permits are set to expire after eight years.
Emphasis on mental health
More emphasis is also to be placed on psychological tests required for gun owners.
The government also plans to increase the number of school psychologists over the next three years.
“In the future, school psychology must no longer be the exception, but the rule,” Stocker said.
The aim is to identify potential dangers at an early stage and make access to particularly dangerous weapons more difficult, the chancellor added.
The assailant had failed a psychological screening test required for military service, but the armed forces are not currently permitted to share that information.
Along these lines, the government said better data transfer between the armed forces and firearm regulatory agencies is another measure that will ensure this information is considered in gun permit applications.
“Anyone who is dangerous should no longer be allowed to own a firearm,” said Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler.
An investigation into the possible motive of the shooter is ongoing.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
