Justin Trudeau Vows To Strengthen Gun Control Laws After Canada's Deadliest Shooting

In the aftermath of the deadliest shooting in Canadas history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised Monday that his government would strengthen gun control legislation once Parliament reconvenes.

I can say that we were on the verge of introducing legislation to ban assault-style weapons across this country, Trudeau said, per The Washington Post . It was interrupted when the pandemic caused Parliament to be suspended, but we have every intention of moving forward on that measure, and potentially other measures, when Parliament returns.

Canadas Parliament has been suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

During his reelection campaign last year, Trudeau pledged to ban all military-style assault rifles if he was voted back into office.

As long as Canadians are losing their loved ones to gun violence, not enough has changed, Trudeau said on the campaign trail in September 2019, The Guardian reported . We know you do not need a military-grade assault weapon, one designed to kill the largest amount of people in the shortest amount of time, to take down a deer.

Trudeaus Liberal Party won enough seats in October to form a minority government.

There are no words for the pain felt by the families and loved ones of the victims. But I want them to know that all Canadians are with them. That this senseless, evil act will not define Nova Scotia. Today, all Canadians are Nova Scotian. pic.twitter.com/yYC7rrWwMH

Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 21, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Justin Trudeau","author_url":"https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau","cache_age":86400,"description":"There are no words for the pain felt by the families and loved ones of the victims. But I want them to know that all Canadians are with them. That this senseless, evil act will not define Nova Scotia. Today, all Canadians are Nova Scotian. pic.twitter.com/yYC7rrWwMH Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 21, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":800,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWGA0m0UYAIduve.jpg","thumbnail_width":1200,"title":"Justin Trudeau on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1252427618017660932","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5e9e979ac5b6a486d07e92b8","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/trudeau-gun-control-canada-nova-scotia-shooting_n_5e9e979ac5b6a486d07e92b8","entryTagsList":"politics-and-government,gun-control,canada,justin-trudeau,assault-weapon,prime-minister-of-canada","sectionSlug":"world-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.world-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/ca0eb2a4-ee0f-4ee0-bab9-66587a127c0c/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5e9e979ac5b6a486d07e92b8","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Politics and Government","slug":"politics-and-government","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics-and-government","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics-and-government","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics-and-government"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics and Government","slug":"politics-and-government","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-and-government"},{"name":"Gun Control","slug":"gun-control","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/gun-control","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/gun-control","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/gun-control"},"relegenceSubjectId":4941756,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Guns","slug":"guns","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/guns"},{"name":"Canada","slug":"canada","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/canada","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/canada","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/canada"},"relegenceId":3856018,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Canada","slug":"canada","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/canada"},{"name":"justin trudeau","slug":"justin-trudeau","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/justin-trudeau","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/justin-trudeau","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/justin-trudeau"},"relegenceId":3621718,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Justin Trudeau","slug":"justin-trudeau","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/justin-trudeau"},{"name":"Assault weapon","slug":"assault-weapon","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/assault-weapon","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/assault-weapon","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/assault-weapon"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/assault-weapon"},{"name":"Prime Minister of Canada","slug":"prime-minister-of-canada","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/prime-minister-of-canada","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/prime-minister-of-canada","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/prime-minister-of-canada"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/prime-minister-of-canada"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

There are no words for the pain felt by the families and loved ones of the victims. But I want them to know that all Canadians are with them. That this senseless, evil act will not define Nova Scotia. Today, all Canadians are Nova Scotian. pic.twitter.com/yYC7rrWwMH
Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 21, 2020

A gunman went on a shooting rampage in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Sunday, killing at least 18 people before being killed during a confrontation with police.

Prior to Sunday, the deadliest shooting in Canada had taken place in 1989 when a gunman killed 14 women and himself at Ecole Polytechnique college in Montreal.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Canadas Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said Monday that the government was committed to strengthening gun laws as soon as possible, but said he couldnt provide an exact timeline because of the ongoing pandemic.

There have been far too many incidents of gun violence in our country and we are working hard to make sure that we put the measures in place that significantly reduce those incidents and keep people safe, Blair said, CTV News reported .

The actual schedule for bringing forward that legislation, that is still to be determined simply because we are in uncertain times in Parliament, he added. But it doesnt in any way imply that we are any less committed to taking the steps that are necessary to keep Canadians safe.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Related