Britain will urgently review regulations concerning private firearms sales, according to Interior Minister Yvette Cooper. This response follows the sentencing of a 19-year-old, Nicholas Prosper, to a minimum of 49 years in prison for the murder of his family.

Prosper pleaded guilty in February to the murders of his mother, brother, and sister and admitted to illegally purchasing a shotgun without a firearm certificate. 

Cooper stated that this tragic case has highlighted significant and long-standing issues in the private firearms sales system, prompting an urgent reassessment of these controls. However, she did not specify what actions the government would take.

In Britain, gun ownership is seen as a privilege rather than a right. Current laws require individuals to obtain a firearm certificate from the police before purchasing a gun. During this process, authorities evaluate whether the applicant poses a threat to public safety and has a valid reason for owning a firearm.

Prosper had forged his own firearms certificate and had reportedly planned a mass shooting at a primary school in Luton, where he and his siblings were former students, according to sentencing remarks.