Polish government ministers suggest tighter gun controls after deadly terrorist shooting
Poland has among the lowest levels of gun ownership in Europe, though the number of licences has risen in recent years.
In the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in Kraków, Poland's government ministers have suggested the need for tighter gun controls. Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka called for a debate on limiting the number and types of weapons people can own, stating that it "makes no sense to talk about expanding access to firearms".
Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek added that "weapons are certainly a challenge for us", highlighting the country's lack of registration for traditional black powder weapons, which have been used in several killings. Poland currently has among the lowest levels of gun ownership in Europe, but the number of firearms licences has risen in recent years.
On Saturday, 24-year-old Michał Oksiński killed six people and injured over a dozen others in the historic city centre of Kraków, having driven through the city with guns in his car. Oksiński's rampage ended in a shootout with two police officers, leaving all three seriously injured. One of the officers remains in serious but stable condition.
Oksiński had legally owned 11 firearms, and his parents and sister were also found dead in his home. The incident is described as an incentive for the government to reexamine the permit system for firearms.
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