Steven Mace
03-28-2002, 08:42 PM
Friday, 29 March, 2002, 00:00 GMT
France may reconsider gun laws
France may reconsider its gun laws in the wake of a mass shooting by a gunman that left eight dead and a further 19 injured.
French President Jacques Chirac said that vital warning signs were missed by authorities in the case of Richard Durn, who gunned down eight council members in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The 33-year-old loner was reported to have sat in the public gallery for the six-hour council meeting before standing up and calmly spraying the councillors with automatic weapon fire.
He later committed suicide by throwing himself from a police station window in central Paris.
"Our system...did not lead to decisions that should have been made, such as taking away his arms," Mr Chirac told the Associated Press news agency.
"There was a breakdown."
Potential loopholes
Interior Minister Daniel Vaillant also told French television that a law passed following the 11 September attacks on America would close any potential loopholes, although the law has yet to be approved by the Council of State.
"It will give local prefects greater capacity to confiscate guns from those considered dangerous to others or themselves," he told the TV channel France 2.
Candidates wishing to purchase a gun in France must be able to provide medical records to prove they are of fit mental capacity to own a weapon.
However French authorities have been unable to explain why Durn was able to obtain a license in 1997 despite a history of psychological problems.
Mental problems
Durn was known to have had a history of mental problems. Four years ago he was reported to social services after threatening a psychologist.
Durn's 65-year-old mother, Stephanie, reportedly said that he was suicidal, frequently talked about killing and was disappointed by his lack of recognition.
Police said Durn, who lived in Nanterre with his mother, was a sports shooting enthusiast who had no criminal record.
As an amateur marksman he held licences for his guns.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1899000/1899948.stm
Steve Mace
France may reconsider gun laws
France may reconsider its gun laws in the wake of a mass shooting by a gunman that left eight dead and a further 19 injured.
French President Jacques Chirac said that vital warning signs were missed by authorities in the case of Richard Durn, who gunned down eight council members in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The 33-year-old loner was reported to have sat in the public gallery for the six-hour council meeting before standing up and calmly spraying the councillors with automatic weapon fire.
He later committed suicide by throwing himself from a police station window in central Paris.
"Our system...did not lead to decisions that should have been made, such as taking away his arms," Mr Chirac told the Associated Press news agency.
"There was a breakdown."
Potential loopholes
Interior Minister Daniel Vaillant also told French television that a law passed following the 11 September attacks on America would close any potential loopholes, although the law has yet to be approved by the Council of State.
"It will give local prefects greater capacity to confiscate guns from those considered dangerous to others or themselves," he told the TV channel France 2.
Candidates wishing to purchase a gun in France must be able to provide medical records to prove they are of fit mental capacity to own a weapon.
However French authorities have been unable to explain why Durn was able to obtain a license in 1997 despite a history of psychological problems.
Mental problems
Durn was known to have had a history of mental problems. Four years ago he was reported to social services after threatening a psychologist.
Durn's 65-year-old mother, Stephanie, reportedly said that he was suicidal, frequently talked about killing and was disappointed by his lack of recognition.
Police said Durn, who lived in Nanterre with his mother, was a sports shooting enthusiast who had no criminal record.
As an amateur marksman he held licences for his guns.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1899000/1899948.stm
Steve Mace