Thursday, March 28

University of Chicago/AP-NORC Poll: 4 out of 10 Americans fear they will be a victim of gun violence in the next five years

According to a recent poll conducted by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 4 out of 10 Americans believe they will become a victim of gun violence in the next five years.

The poll, which was conducted at the end of July, also found that Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are twice as likely to have experienced gun violence themselves or know someone that has already experienced gun violence.

Most Americans surveyed in the poll (71%) all agree that gun laws should be somewhat stricter, with 59%, or nearly 6 out of 10 supporting a ban on semi-automatic weapons. There is also overwhelming public support for a federal gun law that will ban the mentally ill from obtaining guns legally. 52% of those surveyed said it is “very important” to prevent mass shootings, but that it is also “very important” to make sure people are able to own guns for personal protection.

David Sterrett, a senior research scientist with the AP-NORC Center stated in the press release that “The American public is more supportive of policies limiting who can purchase guns than policies banning the sale of certain types of guns”. He further went on to say “The findings also highlight that about half of Americans have intersecting priorities with gun policies, and they don’t see a direct conflict between protecting gun ownership and implementing policies to prevent gun violence.”

The study was conducted with adult panelists from all 50 states between July 28 and August 21, 2022.

File Photo: HPD patrol vehicle at a shooting in northeast Houston
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