This week, a 13-year-old student was killed in Northern
Namibia when another child, only 11 years old, brought a pistol to school. The child
suspect was playing with the gun in the classroom when it went off, presumably
by accident.
There are conflicting reports about how the suspect got the
gun. He claims that he inherited it from its registered owner, one of his grandparents.
However, he did not go through the Namibian legal procedure for inheriting
guns, in which the change of ownership is registered at a police station after
a magistrate decides the inheritor is capable of operating the gun. Another
story suggests that the child took the gun secretly from a hiding spot under a
pillow.
In either case, the suspect’s grandparent displayed
negligent behavior, and has been accused of not keeping the weapon in a safe or
providing adequate licenses. In Namibia, gun owners are required to own a safe
before purchasing a firearm in order to keep it out of the wrong hands. They
must also wait nearly half a year after applying for a license for the
government to complete a mandatory criminal background check. Meanwhile, in the
U.S., there are some states where local authorities are prohibited from registering weapons.
Looking ahead, Namibian authorities hope to better enforce
the country’s gun laws to prevent future tragedies.
Sources:
I wonder how shootings in Namibia compare to the US, and what can we take away from our different gun policies. Are there less or more?
ReplyDelete-- Romain S
So interesting, especially since gun control in the U.S. is such a hot topic right now. What's Namibia's overall ideology regarding guns? I suspect they'd feel much more positively towards them since hunting tourism is such a large contributor to their economy.
ReplyDelete-Michelle H. 1/28
The requirement of a background check seems like a good practice especially if the timing and process mean people aren't approved to purchase guns right away. - Hayden
ReplyDelete