Hungerford / Dunblane

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Two defining moments in the history of British gun control are the massacre at Hungerford, Berkshire in August 1987 and the school shooting in Dunblane, Scotland in March 1996.

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THE HUNGERFORD MASSACRE

This incident happened on August 19th 1987, when gunman Michael Ryan armed himself with handguns and a semi-automatic rifle and walked around the small Berkshire town, killed more than 14 people and wounding more than 15 others in the process, before shooting himself dead.

This deranged maniac was able to wander around the small town, killing anyone that he wanted.

But what if someone else other than Michael had been carrying a gun in public ?

He could have been gunned down before he fired anything more than a few shots. As it was he killed more than 14 people because no-one was capable of stopping him sooner.

Most gun massacres in America now happen in areas that are designated as "gun-free zones" where possession of firearms is strictly against the law. Such areas create perfect "hunting grounds" for unbalanced individuals intent on murder, as they know that no-one will be able to stop them once they start shooting.

The same cannot be said for public areas where guns are legally to carry.

Relaxed gun laws, with no areas that areas classed as "gun-free zones" will ensure that a multiple-victim shooting can be halted with minimal casualties.

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THE DUNBLANE MASSACRE

On March 13th 1996, Thomas Hamilton walked into a school gymnasium in Dunblane, Scotland and open fired, using his legally held semi-automatic pistols to kill 16 young children and their teacher and would more than 10 others. Like Michael Ryan, Hamilton then committed suicide by turning one of the guns on himself before the police could arrive to arrest him.

This was an appalling crime committed by an individual who was strongly suspected of being a homosexual paedophile, but it's important to remember than it's impossible to legislate against acts of insanity.

These concerns about Hamilton's behaviour towards young boys were largely ignored or brushed aside by the authorities. The reasons for this are unclear, but it's suspected that Hamilton had "friends in high places".

Had the authorities done their jobs properly by gathering evidence against Hamilton and prosecuting him for child sex offences he could have been put in prison, where he would have had no opportunity to commit this appalling act.

But even if he was allowed to remain free and instead his guns were taken from him, his sheer determination to carry out this attack would have meant that he would have almost certainly have acquired guns illegally anyway.

After all, he had no intention of going to prison for his crimes.

At the time of the shooting John Douglas, former Head Of Profiling for the FBI, said this of Hamilton -

"You could deprive Hamilton of his guns. But someone like him is mission-oriented and where there's a will, there's a way, even with strict gun laws".

More information can be found by reading this report. The section about Dunblane starts at the bottom of page 9.

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People need to realise that gun massacres don't "just happen". There is often a downward spiral of mental health beforehand, with many signals that the authorities can, but often fail, to act upon.

Better investment in mental health services will, in itself, go a long way to preventing a repeat of the events at Hungerford or Dunblane.

Many people give little thought to those devastated by violence, largely because either they've become hardened to bad news or because it doesn't affect them personally.

Are the current restrictions on self-defence really creating a better society for our children, and how is leaving ourselves defenceless going to protect our families and keep ourselves safe ?

These are the questions that we need to think long and hard about, rather than listening to the hysteria being built up by the British press, who are more interested in selling newspapers than they are in making sure you're safe.

 

( Source - BBC News  - August 13th 1987 )

( Source - Enquiry into the shooting at Dunblane in March 1996 )

( Source - True Crime Library - The Dunblane Massacre )