A gunman has killed five people, including a three-year-old child, in Plymouth, in Britain’s worst mass shooting in more than a decade.
Police said the perpetrator, Jake Davison, 22, was a licensed firearm holder, but it is not yet known whether that gun was used. The UK has some of the toughest restrictions on firearms ownership in the world. Here is a look at how authorities determine who can get a licence.
Who can own a firearm?
The possession of firearms and ammunition in Great Britain is regulated mainly by the Firearms Act 1968. In order to be granted a firearms licence, individuals must be assessed by their local police force and judged not to pose a threat to public safety, and to have “good reason” to own the firearm.
The age at which a person can possess a firearm differs across the UK’s regions. In England, Wales and Scotland, anyone aged 14 and above may own and use a section 1 firearm if they hold a valid firearms certificate for it. In Northern Ireland, a person must be 18 and above to possess a firearm, though over-16s can use one in the company of an adult who…
