After a threat at a school in Mistelbach (Lower Austria) and a frenzy in Texas (USA): could something like this happen to us? How do you get guns, if at all?
Days before the massacre at a Texas school with 21 dead, there was also a red alert in Mistelbach, Lower Austria: A note was found threatening a massacre, investigations are underway.
Fully automatic weapons banned in Austria
Could something similar to what happened in the US happen here? Probably not – although it can’t be ruled out 100 percent. In fact, fully automatic weapons such as machine guns are simply prohibited for private individuals in our country. Yes, even more: the existing gun law has even been tightened (see infobox below).
Apart from illegal channels – how do you get a weapon in Austria? You have to buy it and you are automatically registered. However, you need a gun permit for that, ie a gun pass or a gun ownership card. The latter allows me to have the weapon – and view it in a display case – but not carry it with me. The weapon pass, on the other hand, is a document and is generally issued only very restrictively. You must justify an “understandably high need”, have reached the age of 21 and submit a positive psychological report, which must not be older than six months. Legal integrity is self-evident.
Exceptions and Bizarre Judgment
Despite all the tightening, there are exceptions, for example, for hunters and archers. The magistrate in larger cities is responsible for the approval, otherwise the district authority.
However, the administrative court forbade another exception. After humanitarian operations in war zones such as Mali and especially Syria, members of the Jägerbataillon – the elite unit of the Bundesheer – wanted permission to carry a weapon at home as well. Because they claimed they had been “exposed” on international websites – and feared retaliation. They didn’t get a gun license! According to the Supreme Court, her life is no more in danger than that of ‘ordinary citizens’…
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
