A devastating incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, when a 30-year-old man shot and killed 12 family members, making it the most lethal family-related shooting in Iran in recent history.

The assailant used a Kalashnikov assault rifle to execute the attack, as reported by Ebrahim Hamidi, the head of the justice department in Kerman province, Iran. Among the victims were the man’s father and brother, leaving the nation stunned by the tragic incident.

Notably, Iran has stringent firearm control laws, which make such shootings rare. The laws allow Iranians to own only hunting rifles and enforcement is typically rigorous.

While Iran has experienced family-related shootings in the past, none have been as deadly in decades. In 2022, a former employee of a state-owned financial institution in western Iran shot at his previous workplace, killing three and injuring five before ending his own life.

Earlier, in 2016, a 26-year-old man in southern Iran murdered 10 of his relatives in a rural region.

Specialists link the uptick in violence to the worsening economic climate, further strained by international sanctions. These issues have catalyzed a steep rise in inflation and mounting unemployment, setting the stage for a potentially volatile environment wherein such incidents could occur more regularly.

In the aftermath of this grim event, Iran is grappling with how to address the root causes of such violence and prevent unauthorized access to weapons. The incident has also sparked a renewed discussion on firearm regulations in the country, particularly in rural areas where hunting rifles are more prevalent.