Surrey Six victim’s mother says handgun freeze about ‘choosing life over death’

The mother of a B.C. man who was gunned down in one of the province’s deadliest gang slayings is praising the federal government’s move to freeze hand guns.

Eileen Mohan’s 22-year-old son Christopher was one of two innocent bystanders killed in the so-called Surrey Six slayings, a 2007 gang hit gone wrong that left six people dead.

On Friday, the federal Liberal government’s new freeze on the number of hand guns in Canada took effect.

Appearing with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at an announcement on the initiative in Surrey, Mohan recalled her victim impact statement at her son’s killers’ trial, in which she said leaders must prioritize life over death.

“If tomorrow I die, I know that my son’s death did not go in vain. I am rejoicing that in my lifetime I am seeing this day that we are choosing life over death,” she said.

“This freeze will impact our future society. Choosing life, it takes a political will and a political courage to make it happen. It is not a popular law, freeze. It has not made some people happy. But leaders are not chosen to make people happy. They are there to lead and to act for the future generation.”

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The federal government announced its plan to freeze the import, purchase, sale or transfer of handguns in May, saying it would help reduce gun violence. Trudeau echoed that pledge Friday as the ban formally went into effect.

“We have frozen the market for handguns in this country,” Trudeau said. “This is one of the strongest actions we’ve taken on gun violence in a generation.”

Ottawa implemented regulatory changes at the time, and a temporary ban on importing handguns took effect in August. Final legislation on the plan must still be approved by Parliament.

3:00 Public safety minister defends new gun import ban

That legislation is expected to allow elite sport shooters to continue to buy handguns – an exemption some want expanded to include a wider range of recreational shooters.

Legal gun advocates have panned the freeze, which they say will do nothing to address crime.

“Logically speaking, the vast majority of the guns that are used in criminal activity in Canada are illegally smuggled across the border, so this will have absolutely no impact on crime whatsoever, none,” said Scott Carpenter, owner-manager of International Shooting Supplies in Surrey.

“We’re not actually addressing the real problem, which is smuggling across the border, a lack of resources for the police, and a lack of social services for people who need it.”

The federal Conservatives have also been vocal opponents of the ban.

Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho said Friday the fact the Liberals’ handgun freeze is taking effect while a parliamentary committee studies the accompanying legislation “shows they’re not serious about consulting experts.”

“We are in the midst of an extensive committee study into their current legislation on gun control and we are hearing from experts across the country that there is clearly a division on what experts believe should be done about firearms.”

Trudeau, however, said the government is strengthening the borders and giving law enforcement tools and resources to stop gun smuggling.

– with files from The Canadian Press