After the mass shooting in Örebro, the government and SD have now agreed on changes to the weapons legislation.
Among other things, they want to limit access to semi-automatic weapons of military type, specifically mentioning the AR-15.
The collaborating parties agree to proceed with proposals to limit access to precisely that type of weapon, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M).
The government, however, has no information that the suspected perpetrator in Örebro had any of the weapons they now want to ban for hunters.
On the other hand, they emphasize that the AR-15 is an example of a weapon compatible with large military weapon magazines.
We have seen that in similar incidents in other countries, this weapon has been involved, and we know it can cause great harm in a short time, says Strömmer.
Proposal last spring
The suspected perpetrator in Örebro had a license for four weapons, three of which were found on his dead body.
The police have not disclosed what type of weapons they are – but according to information from Expressen and SvD, none of the weapons were of the criticized AR-type, which has been allowed for hunting in Sweden since 2023.
An investigation proposed last May that semi-automatic weapons of military type, such as the AR-10 and AR-15, should be banned for hunting and that the ban should take effect as soon as possible.
The ban does not, however, include other types of semi-automatic weapons for hunting.
The police estimated last spring that around 3,500 hunters had been granted permits to own firearms of the AR-type.
Asked if the government has been slow to act, Strömmer responds:
I don't want to say that we've been slow to act over the past two years. We received the proposals last spring, worked on them during the fall, and now, in light of this terrible act of violence, we think it's reasonable to also provide guidance on some key points.
The Moderate Party had previously argued against a ban. Now, Strömmer says the goal is to present a legislative proposal during the current term.
The government will also propose how those who have purchased the weapons will be compensated.
Tighter scrutiny
The government is also instructing the police and the National Board of Health and Welfare to strengthen their work on assessing whether a person is suitable to hold a weapons license.
Today, doctors who encounter a patient who is unsuitable to own weapons must report it to the police. Approximately 2,000 such reports are made per year.
Is there any reason to believe that doctors are failing to report?
That is, of course, a question that becomes central to this assignment, says Strömmer.
He emphasizes that if what has emerged so far about the suspected perpetrator is true, it is clear that he should not have had weapons.
Since August 1, 2023, semi-automatic rifles of the AR type (Armalite Rifle) have been allowed for hunting.
AR-10 and AR-15 have a design of "military" type.
Previously, hunters were allowed to use semi-automatic rifles, but of the "civil" type.
According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, this led to difficult boundary drawing, as it is often complicated to determine what is meant by "civil" type, and weapons are constantly evolving.
Semi-automatic weapons of military type can, as a rule, take larger magazines, primarily intended for military use. This means that a large number of shots can be fired in a short time, and the weapon can cause great harm.
Previously allowed hunting weapons are rarely designed to be compatible with military-type weapon magazines.
Sources: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Weapons Investigation
