PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Following the tragic mass shooting that occurred at a Charles University building in downtown Prague, the Czech Parliament has approved changes in the gun law to tighten regulations on owning a weapon. The Senate, the Parliament’s upper house, joined the lower house in passing the legislation, which is now awaiting President Petr Pavel’s signature before becoming law. The new regulations aim to prevent future tragedies like the one that left 14 people dead and many others wounded before the shooter took his own life.
The assailant in the December 22 shooting was a 24-year-old university student with a license to own multiple firearms, including two long guns. Despite having no prior criminal record, the shooter’s access to firearms raised concerns about the existing laws and regulations in place. The proposed changes in the law include more stringent requirements for gun owners, such as more frequent medical checks every five years instead of the current ten-year interval.
In addition to the medical checks, the new law mandates that businesses report any suspicious gun or ammunition purchases to the police. Furthermore, doctors will now have access to databases to identify patients who own guns. These measures are seen as crucial steps towards enhancing gun control and preventing potential misuse of firearms by individuals with ill intentions.
The parliamentary debate on the legislation had commenced even before the tragic shooting took place, emphasizing the importance of revising the existing regulations. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan acknowledged the challenges in speculating whether the new rules would have prevented the shooting had they been in place earlier. Despite uncertainties, the Senate’s decisive 66-1 vote in favor of the legislation reflects a unified effort to address the loopholes in the current gun laws.
Once signed into law by President Pavel, the authorities will have the ability to seize weapons from private owners as a preventive measure. With approximately 314,000 gun licenses held by the country’s 10.9 million residents, owning nearly a million weapons collectively, the new regulations mark a significant step towards enhancing public safety and preventing future tragedies stemming from gun violence in the Czech Republic.