When a killer gunned down 50 people this month at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, it took lawmakers there 72 hours to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.
After 26 people were killed at a US elementary school in 2012, there were widespread calls for universal background checks. More than six years later, they still haven’t materialized.
Both countries have a culture of gun ownership and a strong gun lobby. But there are clear differences.
The right to own a gun isn’t enshrined in New Zealand’s constitution. And the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre shows there’s a greater sense of urgency to enact national gun-control legislation in New Zealand after a mass shooting than in the United States.
Here’s a look at some of the new laws enacted after US mass shootings, and how long each took.
Las Vegas
What happened: On October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire from a hotel window on a crowd of outdoor concertgoers, killing 58 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
Bullets pummeled the crowd of 22,000 with devastating speed due to bump stocks – accessories that make semiautomatic guns fire quicker.
What’s changed since: In November 2017, Massachusetts became the first state to ban bump stocks after the Las Vegas mass shooting.
The Trump administration banned bump stocks nationwide on December 18, 2018. Owners were given 90 days to turn in or destroy their bump stocks.
How long it took: Massachusetts banned bump stocks one month after the Las Vegas massacre. It took 14 months for the federal government to do so.
Parkland, Florida
What happened: On February 14, 2018, a teen used an AR-15 rifle to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
What’s changed since: Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.
The new law raised the state’s minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21; required a three-day waiting period for firearm purchases; banned the sale or possession of bump stocks; and allowed law enforcement officers to ask the court to temporarily prohibit someone from possessing or buying firearms.
One of the more controversial parts of the new law is known as the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, which allows some teachers to be armed if both the local school district and local sheriff’s department agree.
How long it took: Scott approved the new legislation three weeks after the Parkland massacre.
Newtown, Connecticut
What happened: On December 12, 2012, a shooter killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
What’s changed since: Some states tightened their gun laws after Sandy Hook, while others loosened theirs.
Connecticut added more than 100 guns to its list of banned assault weapons, banned armor-piercing bullets, and limited gun magazines to a capacity of 10 rounds.
Kansas, by contrast, said federal gun laws would no longer be enforced and that any federal agent who tried to enforce federal laws would face arrest, jail time and a fine. The state also started recognizing concealed-carry permits from other states.
On the federal level, President Barack Obama signed 23 executive actions related to gun control in January 2013, including directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the best ways to reduce gun violence.
And while the Sandy Hook gunman had no criminal background and got access to guns through his mother, the shooting renewed calls for Congress to require universal background checks for gun sales.
How long it took: It took four months for Connecticut to pass sweeping gun control reforms.
Obama ordered the CDC research and called for universal background checks a month after Sandy Hook. But six years later, there is no federal law requiring universal background checks.
Current House members are hoping to change that after passing H.R. 8, which would require background checks for all US firearm sales. But Senate Republicans are unlikely to take up the bill.
Sutherland Springs, Texas
What happened: On November 5, 2017, a gunman killed 25 people and an unborn child at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs.
Officials said the gunman shouldn’t have been able to buy a gun. He had been previously convicted in a military court of assaulting his spouse and their child.
But the US Air Force said the conviction was not properly entered into the federal law enforcement database. So when the attacker went to a store to buy the gun, he was able to do so.
What’s changed since: US Sen. John Cornyn pushed for the Fix NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) bill. The bill didn’t strengthen background checks, but instead incentivized state and federal authorities to report more data to the database
How long it took: The Fix NICS Act became law n March 2018, four months after the Sutherland Springs shooting.
CNN’s Wayne Drash, Toby Lyles and Mary Rose Fox contributed to this report.