The gun superstore that sold weapons to the right-wing terrorist accused of shooting 50 people dead in the mosque attack in New Zealand, has sold out of the semi-automatic rifle used in the massacre.
Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges.
While the owner of Gun City in Auckland has admitted the company sold Tarrant four of the firearms used in the attack, they say he did not obtain a AR-15-style semi-automatic assault rifle from them.
Gun City store owner David Tipple speaks to the media during a press conference at the Piano Event Centre in Christchurch, during which he said he feels no responsibility for the attack
Gun City, one of New Zealand’s biggest firearm retailers, say they have run out of AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she is preparing to announce new gun laws within days, prompted by the horrific terror attack.
‘Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer,’ Ardern told a news conference after her cabinet reached in principle decisions on gun reform laws in the wake of New Zealand’s worst ever mass shooting.
In addition to the 50 killed, dozens were wounded at two mosques in the South Island city during Friday prayers.
Gun City, one of New Zealand’s biggest firearm retailers, told The Times they have run out of AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch last week.
David Tipple, the managing director of Gun City, said earlier this week that he felt no responsibility for the deaths of 50 worshippers who were gunned down on Friday.
‘We detected nothing extraordinary about this licence holder,’ Tipple told a press conference in Christchurch.
Firearms and accessories are displayed at Gun City gunshop in Christchurch, New Zealand
Gun City managing director David Tipple said Brenton Tarrant placed ‘three or four’ online orders for guns from November 2017 up until the most recent order in March 2018. Pictured: A controversial Gun City billboard
David Tipple, managing director of Gun City (pictured) – one of New Zealand’s biggest firearm retailers – revealed the 28-year-old Australian had purchased four weapons and ammunition from the store
Tipple said the alleged gunman bought four weapons and ammunition between December 2017 and March 2018.
‘The MSSA, military-style automatic, reportedly used by the alleged gunman was not purchased from Gun City. Gun City did not sell him an MSSA, only A-category firearms,’ he said.
Tipple refused to answer direct questions about the use of firearms sold from his shop, indicating this was not the time for a debate about guns.
Asked if he held any sense of responsibility, Tipple said: ‘No, I do not.’
He added he would continue to sell weapons to anyone with the same credentials as the gunman.
It was the responsibility of the police to vet firearms licence applications, he said.
Latest available statistics show police approved 99.6 percent of nearly 45,000 applications in 2017 when Tarrant received his licence.
Mr Tipple (pictured) disputed reports that people have been ‘panic buying’ assault rifles
Tipple said the military-style semi-automatic (MSSA) the gunman was seen using did not come from his store.
‘We didn’t sell him a rifle used in the incident. I watched the video, I saw the rifle, and I know for sure where it came from — if it has the serial number that I expect — and it was not from any Gun City affiliated store,’ he said.
Tarrant obtained his standard ‘A-category’ firearms licence in November 2017 and bought four weapons over four months using an online service, Tipple said, adding Gun City had records of the purchases and had provided full details to the police.
Amid a public outcry across New Zealand, including the banning of semi-automatic weapons, Tipple said he would not be proactive and withdraw AR15s from sale but would do so if required by law.
Tipple rejected reports of ‘panic buying’ of weapons after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said gun laws would be tightened in the wake of the massacre.
‘It’s a lie. There’s been a number of people wanting to sell their semi-automatic firearms as a result of the incident.’