After a fatal shooting at a rave on August 30th, some Swiss politicians are calling for stricter laws regulating the purchase and ownership of firearms. Others, on the other hand, are against further restrictions.
The shooter, who opened fire at a rave in the Aargau municipality, killed a 22-year-old woman and wounded five others.
When he was arrested the following day, police discovered an arsenal of weapons that the man, described by police as psychologically unstable, purchased legally.
READ MORE: Swiss rave shooting suspect has ‘psychological problems’
The shooting, a rare occurrence in Switzerland, is sparking renewed debates about the country’s gun legislation, and whether it should be tightened in view of this incident.
But first: What exactly does the law say?
Switzerland is all about ‘responsible gun ownership’, which is part of its culture, stemming from the tradition of armed militia, ready to defend Switzerland at a moment’s notice.
Anyone over 18 can apply for a permit, with the exception of people with a criminal record, as well as nationals of certain countries considered ‘sensitive’ by the Swiss government: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Algeria, and Albania – unless these people are Swiss citizens also.
READ MORE: Can foreign residents in Switzerland own guns?
A first-time applicant is subjected to an investigation. On average, it takes between two and three weeks to obtain the permit.
In 2019, however, rules of gun acquisition and ownership had become stricter – for instance, purchase of high-capacity semi-automatic weapons has only been possible for sport shooting and collection purposes.
Also, while active-duty soldiers are allowed to carry weapons in public, civilians can only do so when travelling to a hunting area or shooting range, and ammunition must be carried separately from the weapon.
Applicants for the permit must also pass a safety and weapons-handling test.
‘Legacy weapons’
The Aarau shooter, whose identity has not been officially revealed beyond mentioning that he lived in canton Jura, acquired all his weapons legally, including those that were outlawed during the 2019 reform.
Among them were certain semi-automatic firearms, which were were reclassified as “prohibited”—meaning that purchasing them after 2019 required a special authorisation.
But those who bought them prior to change in legislation – as the shooter did – had to simply register them.
They became knwn as ‘legacy weapons’ – that is, either those bought or inherited prior to the reform.
New debate
Following the Aarau shooting, the question of stricter rules for ‘legacy’ weapons has now arisen.
Independent Zurich MP Daniel Jositsch, for instance, sees a need for action.
Referring to the Aarau’s shooter’s mental problems, he said that “there is a risk group. The harder it is for these individuals to obtain a weapon, the lower the likelihood of such acts reoccurring.”
The Greens and Social Democrats (SD) are also in favour of stricter regulations.
SD deputy Franziska Roth wants to ban semi-automatic weapons without exception: “That would mean confiscating weapons that were purchased in the past as well,” she said.
‘No precedence’
But Reto Nause, a deputy from The Centre party, doesn’t see the immediate need to tamper with legacy weapons, pointing out that there have been no previous incidents in Switzerland involving such a weapon.
Further, “tightening the law would create significant bureaucracy while yielding little benefit,” he added.
Nause argues that the focus should be on the shooter’s psychological problems rather than the weapon he used.
“This is a problem we have been dealing with in many cases for some time – regardless of the weapon used,” he noted.
This opinion is shared by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) deputy Werner Salzmann who stated simply that any change in current gun laws “is not necessary.”
Further ‘pro’ and ‘con’ debates on this issue will undoubtedly continue.
