LONDON, March 21 -- The grieving Scottish town of Dunblane ended Thursday the grim task of burying the victims of a shooting massacre at the town's primary school which claimed 18 lives. Funerals were held for the last two children and their teacher, Gwenne Mayor, 45, who died when a lone gunman brandishing four weapons opened fire on a gym class of 5- to 6-year olds, killing 16 children, the teacher and himself.
The private services were open only to relatives and friends, and following requests for privacy, the media stayed away from the ceremonies. Thomas Hamilton, 43, a local outcast known for his obsession with guns and young boys, killed 11 girls and five boys and seriously wounded another 15 people by his gunfire. Hamilton's body was cremated Tuesday. Prime Minister John Major announced Thursday an amnesty on firearms, which will allow people to turn in firearms without fear of prosecution. He said the details of the amnesty were being worked out. The Dunblane massacre shocked the nation and the world. Flowers and teddy bears from around the globe arrived at the quiet Scottish cathedral town, forming a string of tributes nearly half a mile long outside the school. In separate visits to Dunblane, Major and Queen Elizabeth II laid wreaths outside the school. On Sunday, rail stations, shops, airports, sporting events and radio and television channels observed a minute's silence for the victims. The slayings have triggered debate in the press and Parliament about gun control, with some asking how Hamilton came to be licensed to use firearms. The government announced an inquiry into current gun laws shortly after the shootings. Firearms restrictions were tightened after the last mass shooting incident in Britain in 1987, when gunman Michael Ryan killed 14 people and himself in the town of Hungerford.
