Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announced a ban on 1,500 different firearms on Friday, effective immediately.
CBS News reports that the new list of prohibited firearms centers on “assault-style” guns. Trudeau said, “These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada.”
The ban contains an amnesty period, allowing current owners of the firearms up to two years to comply.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair commented on the ban, saying, “As of today, the market for assault weapons in Canada is closed,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said. “Enough is enough. Banning these firearms will save Canadian lives.”
On April 30, Breitbart News reported that the ban would target AR-15s, the Ruger Mini-14 rifle, and other similar firearms. The Mini-14 was included in the ban because it was used in a 1989 attack on École Polytechnique
On April 29, 2020, the Globe and Mail reported that the Nova Scotia attacker used multiple firearms, a combination of long guns, and pistols. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Superintendent Darren Campbell indicated that “one of the long guns could be described as a military-style assault rifle.” This means Trudeau’s gun ban would not have prevented the attack, as only one gun used in the heinous act appears to fall into the category of weapons being banned.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.