Gun Laws Missing Something? by Bohdan Rabarsky
Where should the focus be in mass killings?
Unfortunately, the latest shootings have shown that mass killings aren’t uniquely American. On Tuesday, February 11th in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, a shooter killed eight people and wounded 25 people. The shooter killed a 39 year old teacher and five students as well as his mother and an 11 year old stepbrother. The latter were found in a residence and occurred before the shooter went to the school. The shooter eventually took his own life.
The firearms recovered were a long gun and modified handgun. At the time of this writing, it hasn’t been determined how the shooter obtained the firearms.
Canada has a National Handgun Registration ongoing since 1934. On May 1st, 2020, Canada banned 1500 models of ‘assault weapons.’ Canada further expanded this list on December 5th 2024 by adding 300 more ‘assault weapons’ and 324 unique makes & models. On April 4, 2025, Canada banned 179 additional ‘assault weapons.’ Currently, there is a national freeze in effect on handgun sales, purchases and transfers.
These weapon bans came in the wake of the 2020 mass killings in Nova Scotia, when a mass killer murdered 13 people over two days, then set fire to buildings that killed nine more people. The killer illegally obtained 4 stolen guns; 3 guns that were smuggled in from the United States and a Smith & Wesson handgun was taken after killing a RCMP officer.
The Tumbler Ridge shooter was born a biological male who transitioned to a female six years ago. He was also a high school dropout. According to police records, over the years authorities have responded to his home over concerns about mental health issues.
Canada’s strict gun laws wouldn’t have prevented either of these two mass murders. Canada’s strict gun laws target lawful gun owners, require firearm safety training, extensive background checks and registration. In the case of the Nova Scotia incident, the killer used burning buildings to kill 9 people, so any gun laws wouldn’t have made a difference.
In Sydney Australia, about 1,000 Jewish people were gathered together at Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah when two gunmen, armed with long barreled weapons, began firing a them. At least 16 people died and about 40 were hospitalized. The murderers were a 50 years old man and his 24 years old son.
Australia has very strict gun control laws, including a 28 days waiting period for gun purchases.
Ms. Segal and other Jewish leaders in Australia told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the deadly events were shocking but not unexpected. They said that antisemitic incidents have intensified. “It hasn’t come without warning,”.
Authorities in Canada, Australia and America need to start focusing on the mental health of their residents, instead of enacting more gun laws against legal gun owners, as that obviously hasn’t prevented mass killings.
