New Zealand Bans All Assault Weapons Immediately, Says PM

New Zealand Bans All Assault Weapons Immediately, Says PM
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament n Wellington, New Zealand, on March 21, 2019. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand—Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on March 21 an immediate ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons like the ones used in the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch that killed 50 people.

The man charged in the attack had purchased his weapons legally using a standard firearms license and enhanced their capacity by using 30-round magazines “done easily through a simple online purchase,” she said.