Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, has drawn criticism for describing the Dunblane primary school massacre as "one murder." The comments, made in relation to handgun bans in the UK, were labeled "callous and indefensible" by a Mid Scotland & Fife MSP.
The MSP stated that Lowe's "casual" and "ignorant" manner of speaking about the tragedy, which profoundly impacted Scotland, was unacceptable. He called for Lowe to withdraw his remarks and issue an apology.
On March 13, 1996, gunman Thomas Hamilton entered the gym of Dunblane's primary school and killed 16 children and their teacher. An additional 12 children and three adults were injured in the attack. The majority of the child victims were five and six years old.
The incident spurred the Snowdrop campaign, which ultimately led to the UK enacting some of the world's most stringent firearms legislation, including a ban on handguns. Lowe's remarks reportedly touched upon this ban, stating it was enacted "because there was a murder in Dunblane."