More Swiss Guns!

Several murders in Switzerland havce prompted its Parlimanet's Security Policy Committee to take steps to remove weapons from the hands of people with a history of violence. That committee said confiscating firearms was a matter of urgency for individuals known to have made threats or perpetrated acts of violence.

The Committee unanimously called for the National Assembly to pass a motion requiring the Federal Council to pass steps for combatting the possession arms by dangerous persons in cooperation with the cantons.

The committee's proposal calls for the police and prosecuting authorities to confiscate all civilian and military weapons held by violent individuals. Moreover, the committee says that military and judicial authorities should collaborate more effectively both at the cantonal and federal levels.

"The different authorities involved won’t move things forward by mutually abdicating their responsibilities or trying to justify themselves regarding the misuse [of weapons],” the commission said.

The Swiss news service ATS reported two fatal shootings of two people using Military weapons in western Switzerland since the beginning of November.

On November 4th, a man shot his 21-year-old girlfriend with his assault rifle in Saint Léonard, in the south of the country. The alleged murderer, a 23-year-old man, had several previous convictions for threatening behaviour and property damage.

A week later, a 37-year-old man died from injuries sustained in a shooting incident at a Geneva shopping centre.

On Sunday, November 13th, a young woman in Boudry killed a 23-year-old man with a military gun which she had believed to be a toy gun.

For more see this.