Asia-pacific

Australia gun laws set example to US

Australia banned semi-automatic rifles after 35 people were gunned down in Tasmania in 1996.
Last Modified: 21 Dec 2012 07:38

A shooter killed 35 people in a single day in a 1996 shooting spree at a popular tourist spot in Tasmania.

The Australian government seized this tragedy to bring in tough new gun control laws. 

The country does not have the world's toughest gun laws, nor the lowest rate of gun-crime. However, the chance of being murdered by a gunman is one-thirtieth of that of the United States.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports from Sydney.

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Al Jazeera
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