Canada's Alberta weighs appointing own chief firearms officer after gun ban decision

The Canadian province of Alberta is considering appointing its own chief firearms officer in response to Ottawa's decision to ban 1,500 models and variants of military-grade assault weapons, Premier Jason Kenney said in a statement.

"In response to today's announcement from Ottawa, our government is actively considering appointing Alberta's own chief firearms officer (CFO) to replace the CFO appointed by Ottawa," Kenney said on Friday.

The premier added that the majority of firearms infractions in Canada are committed with guns acquired illegally in the United States and that law-abiding citizens are being unfairly targeted by the federal government.

Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer said that the province will explore all possible responses using the legislative means at Alberta's disposal.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government is banning 1,500 types of assault weapons effective immediately.

The move by the Trudeau government follows the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history that left 22 victims dead. Some of the weapons used by the assailant, identified as Gabriel Wortman, are now classified as prohibited, according to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have said that most of the weapons used in the deadly rampage were acquired illegally in the United States.

The Conservative opposition has denounced the move arguing that the governing Liberal party is exploiting the tragedy in Nova Scotia to push through policy based on dogma. (Sputnik/)

( With inputs from ANI )