Poll: Most Americans still support stricter gun laws and a ban on assault weapons

article

FILE: A sales associate takes a gun from a gun display in a store. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Gun control in the US has long been a hotly debated topic, but now there appears to be a shift in American views on the issue based on a new poll.

A recent Gallup poll shows that a majority of people still want stricter gun laws and a ban on assault weapons in the country, while others oppose a gun ban.

About 56% of respondents support stricter gun laws regarding gun sales, while 33% prefer gun laws to remain as they are and 10% want gun laws to be less strict.

RELATED: Gun violence remains the leading cause of death for American youth, the report found

The poll found that the 20% of Americans who would support a law banning the ownership of guns except by police and other authorized individuals has fallen by seven percentage points from 2023.

On the issue of an assault weapons ban, 52% of respondents say there should be a ban on the manufacture, ownership and sale of assault rifles. But the amount of support for a ban is lower than what was measured in two previous surveys, according to Gallup.

RELATED: Surgeon General calls US gun violence a public health crisis

Meanwhile, political parties have opposing views on gun control in the US, with 89% of Democrats supporting stricter gun laws, compared to 56% of independents and 25% of Republicans.

Fifty-nine percent of Republicans support keeping gun sales laws as they are now, while 15% favor less strict laws. In addition to the majority of independents who support stricter gun laws, 31% want them to stay the same and 12% support stricter laws.

Additionally, Democrats (82%) support an assault weapons ban, compared to Republicans (27%) and independents (50%).

Gallup used data from its Oct. 1-12 crime poll for its recent poll on gun laws and assault weapons bans.

The US surgeon general calls gun violence a public health crisis

In June 2024, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy gun violence into a public health crisis, caused by the country’s rapidly growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms.

To reduce gun deaths, Murthy urges the US to ban “assault weapons and high-capacity magazines for civilian use,” implement universal background checks for gun purchases, regulate the industry, pass laws measures that would restrict their use in public spaces and punish people. who fail to store their weapons safely.

These changes cannot be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress. However, some state lawmakers have pushed or may be considering some of the surgeon general’s proposals.