Berlin pushes stricter gun legislation after weapons incidents

Police in Berlin's Niederschöneweide district responded to reports of gunshots on a balcony on Sunday night. Officers discovered a blank‑firing weapon, a magazine and ammunition in the apartment of a 36‑year‑old resident and her 45‑year‑old co‑habitant. Both individuals are now being investigated for violations of the weapons law.

Separately, the Berlin Senate announced a proposal to tighten German gun legislation by upgrading illegal possession of pistols and other firearms from a misdemeanor to a felony. The initiative, presented by Justice Senator Felor Badenberg (CDU) and Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD), will be forwarded to the federal Ministry of Justice for drafting. The move is justified by a reported increase in gang‑related shootings, with the federal crime‑fighting unit “Ferrum” having seized 44 firearms and over 600 rounds since last autumn, and by concerns that illegal weapons are flowing from sources in the Czech Republic and Turkey. The Senate seeks broader police powers to combat organized firearms trafficking.