Key facts
- Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe described the Dunblane school shooting as 'one murder' on the Joe Rogan podcast.
- Lowe stated the UK's handgun ban was implemented due to 'one murder up in Dunblane'.
- The 1996 Dunblane massacre killed 16 children and their teacher, and wounded 15 other children.
- Politicians and victims' families have condemned Lowe's remarks as insensitive, disrespectful, and ignorant.
Rupert Lowe, the leader of the Restore Britain party and MP for Great Yarmouth, has faced significant backlash for describing the 1996 Dunblane school shooting as 'one murder' during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. Lowe made the comments while discussing UK gun laws, stating that handguns were banned because 'there was a murder up in Dunblane.' He also mentioned his father's pistols were confiscated following the incident and advocated for societal change to 'release the individual.'
The Dunblane massacre, which occurred on March 13, 1996, resulted in the deaths of 16 primary school children and their teacher, Gwen Mayor, while 15 other children were injured. The shooter, Thomas Hamilton, died by suicide at the scene. The tragedy led to a nationwide campaign, the Snowdrop Campaign, which successfully pushed for a ban on private handgun ownership in the UK.
Politicians and victims' families have strongly condemned Lowe's remarks. Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr described the comments as 'astonishingly insensitive and profoundly disrespectful,' stating that reducing the murder of 16 children and their teacher to 'one murder' diminishes a dark day in Scotland's history. Local MSP Keith Brown called Lowe's statements 'beyond despicable.'
Victims' relatives also voiced their outrage. Kenny Ross, whose daughter Joanna was killed, highlighted the ignorance behind such comments and emphasized the safer society achieved through the ban on private gun ownership. Jack Crozier, whose sister Emma was killed, questioned whether the people of Great Yarmouth should be represented by someone who made such a choice on a global platform.