An Australian teenager has been charged with gun offenses after police seized a fully functioning firearm he allegedly made at home with a 3D printer
Police in Western Australia found the weapon and a number of other firearms after executing a search warrant at the 18-year-old man's home in early June."This firearm although it resembles a toy has the ability to cause serious harm within our community," Detective Senior Sgt. Blair Smith told reporters."It's deeply concerning that this man was able to manufacture this firearm at home with a 3D printer and readily available materials.
The laws were introduced in 1996 after a gunman opened fire on tourists at Port Arthur, a former colonial prison in Tasmania, killing 35 people. The massacre horrified the Australian public and the government quickly tightened rules on firearm ownership. A gun amnesty was launched, which encouraged people to hand in guns at local police stations anonymously and without penalty. Combined with a gun buyback scheme, the measure took about 640,000 guns out of circulation.