As a result of recent mass shootings in the neighboring United States, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has proposed a ban on importing and selling handguns in Canada, which would effectively halt their ownership.

Trudeau, surrounded by dozens of Canadian family and friends of victims of gun violence, said on Monday at a news conference, "We're introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership,"

He explained that it would no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import firearms in Canada. In other words, the market for handguns will be capped.

The law must yet be approved by Parliament, where the Liberals hold a minority of seats.

The proposed bill would also revoke the firearms licenses of individuals convicted of domestic violence or stalking, confiscate firearms from those deemed a risk to themselves or others, and improve border security and criminal penalties for gun trafficking.

It would also prohibit magazines for long guns containing more than five bullets.

Ownership multiplied by three

In April 2020, the government outlawed 1,500 military-grade or assault-style rifles, days after Canada's worst mass shooting, which left 23 people dead in rural Nova Scotia.

Monday, Trudeau recognized that gun violence continues to increase.

Last week, the Canadian government's statistical office stated that firearms are involved in less than three percent of all violent crimes.

Since 2009, however, the per capita rate of weapons pointed at someone has nearly tripled, while the rate of guns fired with the intent to kill or injure has increased fivefold.

In metropolitan areas, over two-thirds of gun crimes involve handguns.

As the primary source of handguns, police frequently cite smuggling from the United States, reeling from recent massacres at a school in Texas and a supermarket in New York state.

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino estimates approximately one million pistols in the United States, a massive increase from a decade ago.

Trudeau stated, "People should be able to visit their grocery store, school, and place of worship without fear." People should be able to visit parks and birthday parties without fear of stray bullets.

He stated, "Gun violence is a complex problem," However, the math is relatively straightforward: the fewer firearms in our community, the safer everyone will be.