In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in Czech history, lawmakers in the Czech Republic have approved an amendment aimed at tightening gun legislation. The proposed changes, which were already in the pipeline before the tragic incident, still need to pass through the senate and be signed by the president before becoming law. However, these developments beg the question: will these measures make a meaningful difference in preventing future incidents of gun violence?
The recent mass shooting took place at Charles University, where a 24-year-old graduate student with a history of depression shot and killed 14 people. Shockingly, the perpetrator was a licensed gun owner who possessed eight legally-owned firearms. It is believed that the majority of victims were killed with a pistol, but the shooter also carried an AR-10 semi-automatic assault rifle, which became a chilling symbol of the attack. Disturbing video footage captured the shooter roaming the balustrade of the university’s Arts Faculty, indiscriminately firing at passers-by before ultimately taking his own life with a shotgun.
One glaring issue highlighted by this tragic event is the absence of a central control mechanism to monitor the accumulation of firearms by individuals. The shooter had rapidly acquired seven weapons within a short period of time, yet these purchases went unnoticed due to the lack of a reporting system. Furthermore, while applicants for a gun license must obtain a doctor’s signature, there is no obligation for doctors to be informed about the applicant’s psychiatric history treated by a psychiatrist.
The new amendment aims to address some of these loopholes by establishing an improved online register for firearms and their owners. Under this system, doctors, including psychiatrists, would have access to this information. Additionally, gun shops will be legally obligated to report any suspicious purchases, and the system will identify individuals acquiring a large number of firearms. Another significant provision allows the police to seize weapons as a precautionary measure, such as when gun owners make threatening remarks on social media. Remarkably, the police currently lack this power.
However, it is worth noting that the amendment does not include mandatory psychological tests as a requirement for obtaining a gun license, as is common in many other countries. Czech doctors have the option to request such tests, but it is left to their discretion. While further amendments may be proposed to strengthen the legislation during its journey through parliament, it is highly unlikely that the fundamental right to bear arms will be significantly impacted. This unique obsession with personal firearm ownership persists, even in one of the safest countries in Europe.
In fact, there has been growing interest in gun ownership rights in recent years. In 2021, the Czech Constitution was amended to explicitly include the right to bear arms for self-defense. This amendment was a response to European Union initiatives aiming to restrict the possession of firearms, including legal ones. As a result, the Czech Republic currently has over 300,000 licensed gun owners and more than a million guns, despite its relatively small population of 10.7 million. Although hunting and competitive shooting account for some licenses, self-defense remains the primary reason cited for firearm ownership, prompting concerns about the necessity of such measures in urban areas like Prague and Brno.
While the tightening of gun laws in the Czech Republic is a step in the right direction, its effectiveness remains uncertain. The amendments attempt to close existing loopholes and improve reporting mechanisms, but they fall short by not implementing mandatory psychological evaluations. It is essential for policymakers to balance individual rights and public safety when crafting gun control legislation. As the amendment works its way through the parliamentary process, it will be interesting to see if additional measures are introduced to address these shortcomings and create a more comprehensive approach to gun control in the country.
