Government data reveals that there are more than 940,000 registered private gun owners in Germany. The DSN marksmen’s association boasts roughly 1.35 million members who are part of the group’s 14,200 clubs.
This is a large number on the surface but still relatively small compared to the overall population of 84 million.
German laws stipulate that an individual must be licensed to privately own a weapon. Those 18 or over may apply for the license if they meet specific legal requirements, including having no criminal history, a safe storage system, and determination that the individual is psychologically fit.
A provision of the background check is that the weapons authority must check with Germany’s domestic intelligence service on if the person applying for a license is a member of an “extremist” group.
Authorities are permitted to do “spot checks” on legal gun owners to ensure they are following the country’s strict statutes. Part of a 2020 gun control change was the mandating of these spot checks every five years to determine if a person has justification for owning a weapon.
Only one gun per license is allowed, there is an anonymous “tip-off” provision, and ammunition possessed must match the permit holder’s firearm.
The nation outlawed certain large magazines in that 2020 package.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser noted on Friday that a new law being prepared by Berlin would require prospective gun owners to undergo a psychological suitability test.
None of these measures prevented Thursday evening’s attack or a string of assaults across the nation in recent years. The case begs closer scrutiny.
According to German authorities and in keeping with its privacy laws, the 35-year-old identified only as Philipp F. opened fire in the place of worship. He killed six with a semiautomatic pistol before taking his own life.
His motives are still being investigated, but officials revealed that he had earlier expressed hatred for Jehovah’s Witnesses. He reportedly was a previous member of the religious group and was raised in a religious family.
It is reported by police and prosecutors that he used a Heckler & Koch P30 semiautomatic handgun to carry out the attack. The suspect is said to have been an amateur marksman.
The deceased suspect did not have a criminal record or known extremist links, but police received an anonymous tip in January that he exhibited “suspicious behavior.” Hamburg police official Ralf Meyer told reporters, “The anonymous person expressed the opinion in the letter that Philipp F. could be suffering from a mental illness.”
He added that this was not confirmed since there was no medical diagnosis, and the alleged killer was not seeking medical treatment.
Two police officers carried out a surprise home visit on Feb. 7. They reported that he showed no signs of mental illness and that their conversation was cordial. His license was checked, and the officials ensured that his weapon was properly stored.
He was given a verbal warning about a round that was lying on top of the gun safe, and there was no more action taken.
Meyer concluded that “the entire situation also showed no indications for the officers that could have pointed to a mental illness. On the contrary, they had a further conversation with him about a variety of things, such as the furnishing of the flat and similar things, and at the end they went out and gave him a verbal warning for the minor offense.”
So, even with a specific warning, the tragedy was not prevented. What comes next, as it always does in the U.S., are calls for even more draconian gun control measures that once again will not make the public safer.
An armed good guy could have made all the difference last week, but the law of the land all but ensured that there would not be one around.
