Poll: Less Than Half of Americans Think Mass Shootings Can Be Stopped

ashley.rae | October 9, 2015
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After the Umpqua Community College shooting, Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Jeb Bush have been criticized for their remarks regarding mass shootings in America. A new poll shows, however, less than half of Americans believe mass shootings can be stopped.

YouGov asked 1,000 American adults between Oct. 2-5, “Do you think that mass shootings are something that can be stopped or just a fact of life in America today?”

Less than half (48 percent) of Americans responded, “Mass shootings are something that can be stopped.”

Over a third of those polled (35 percent) replied, “Mass shootings are a fact of life in America today.”

Broken down politically, 60 percent of Democrats responded mass shootings can be stopped, compared to 46 percent of Independents and 37 percent of Republicans.

Nearly half of Republicans (48 percent) responded that mass shootings are a “fact of life,” compared to 35 percent of Independents and less than a quarter of Democrats (24 percent).

At the same time, a majority of Americans are not worried about becoming mass shooting casualties.

In the poll, 67 percent responded feeling “not at all” (27 percent) or “not very worried” (40 percent) about being killed or injured in a mass shooting. Just 7 percent responded they are “very worried” and 20 percent felt “somewhat worried” about being hurt or killed or a mass shooting.

Asked what would be “most likely” to prevent mass shootings, 44 percent replied “stricter gun control laws and enforcement” while 36 responded, “allowing more private citizens to carry guns for protection.”

Americans were divided on the ramifications of stricter gun control measures. In the poll, 35 percent responded stricter gun control would “reduce the number of shootings in the United States” and 35 percent also said that stricter gun control would “not affect the number of shootings in the United States.” In the poll, 15 percent stated stricter gun control would “increase the number of shootings in the United States.”

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