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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Sarah Martin and Ariel Bogle

Australia was once the gold standard for gun safety. Experts say it’s losing control

An illustration showing a map of Australia with guns hidden beneath it
Australia’s world-leading gun reforms after the Port Arthur massacre led to an immediate decrease in the number of firearms in the community. Illustration: Richard Giliberto/The Guardian

It was lunchtime on a Sunday in April when Martin Bryant pulled out a semiautomatic rifle and killed 12 people in 15 seconds within the close confines of the Broad Arrow cafe in the historic site of Port Arthur, Tasmania.

The 1996 massacre, which went on to claim the lives of 35 people and wound a further 23, prompted an unprecedented overhaul of Australia’s gun laws.

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