Sweden to tighten gun laws

The decision comes after a gunman killed 10 people at an adult education center in Örebro, west of Stockholm, on Tuesday. Swedish police said yesterday that the victims had been identified as seven women and four men aged between 31 and 63.

The names and nationalities of the victims have not yet been released, while the identity and nationality of the shooter have not been released.

Swedish police did not provide details about the type of weapon used in the deadly tragedy, but said he was licensed to own four weapons and had three of them in his possession on the day of the incident, which were recovered at the scene.

The Swedish government has announced plans to strengthen the country's gun laws, including by restricting access to semi-automatic weapons. Swedish Prime Minister Olof Kristersson said in an announcement that "we must ensure that only the right people in Sweden have guns."

The head of Sweden's center-right coalition government, which relies on the support of the country's far right, said: "The horrific act of violence in Örebro raises several key questions about gun law. In addition to tightening the laws, we plan to improve the way people are reported when they are medically unfit to own a gun."

According to a statement from the Swedish government, the requirements that must be taken into account when assessing a person's suitability for a gun permit are not clearly stated in the gun regulations and should be set out in law.

These requirements include age, knowledge, skills, certain medical factors and a person's level of legality.

The government also plans to add regulations on doctors' reporting obligations about weapons and the ability of police to revoke permits, the statement said.

The government said that restrictions on gun ownership that were in place before 2023 would be reinstated and a strategy would be developed to seize military-style weapons.

"In light of the horrific shooting in Örebro, we believe that we need to make changes to the gun law," Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömer said, according to Reuters.

Hundreds of Swedish hunters can now apply for permits for semi-automatic weapons.

The recent mass shooting tragedy in Sweden has also raised questions about whether security at Swedish schools should be improved. Unlike in many countries, schools in Sweden are often seen as semi-public spaces, with few controls on who can enter and leave.

The government is looking to speed up legislation currently being passed in parliament that would make it easier to install surveillance cameras in schools, the Swedish justice minister said.

Sweden has a high level of gun ownership by European standards; most guns are legally owned for hunting, but a wave of gang-related crime has highlighted the high prevalence of illegal weapons.

According to a 2017 report by the Swiss-based research institute The Small Arms Survey, there are about 2.3 million guns in the hands of Swedish citizens. That works out to three guns for every 100 people.