Gun violence in the U.S. continues to be a pressing issue, with nearly 200 mass shootings and nearly 7,000 deaths in the first five months of 2024. A new YouGov survey asked Americans about their experiences with guns and their opinions about the causes of gun violence and potential solutions. The majority of Americans have some personal experience with guns. Majorities point to gangs and drugs as major factors to blame for gun violence in the country.
Adults in the U.S. are evenly divided on whether the average American can be trusted with a gun. 43% say yes and 42% say no. Among Democrats, 24% think the average American can be trusted with a gun; 34% of Independents and 74% of Republicans agree. Among Americans who are gun owners, 72% think the average person can be trusted with a gun while 17% disagree.
Trust in the average American with a gun has declined since a YouGov survey about guns two years ago, which found that 45% said an average American could be trusted with a gun and 35% disagreed.
What are Americans’ experiences with guns in the U.S.? Two-thirds (66%) know someone who owns a gun or own one themselves. One in five (20%) know someone who has died by suicide using a gun. Many Americans know — or are — victims of gun violence, including 14% who know someone who has been shot by someone else with a gun, 14% who know someone who has been killed intentionally by another person with a gun, and 7% who know someone who has died as the result of an accidental gunshot wound.
6% of Americans either have been or personally know someone who has been present at a mass shooting.
36% of Americans live in a household with a gun: 24% personally own one themselves and 12% don’t personally own a gun but share a household with someone who does.
Republicans (40%) are more likely than Independents (18%) and Democrats (15%) to be gun owners.
Most Americans (64%) believe that owning a gun in the U.S. should be legal in all (12%) or most (52%) cases. 27% think it should be illegal in all (8%) or most (19%) cases.
Among people who think the average American can be trusted with a gun, 91% think owning a gun should be legal in all (22%) or most (69%) cases. People who do not think the average American can be trusted with a gun are less likely to say gun ownership should be legal (38%) in all (4%) or most (33%) instances.
Republicans (87%) are more likely than Independents (60%) or Democrats (45%) to say gun ownership should be legal in all or most cases.
When choosing among two possible beliefs about mass shootings, nearly half (47%) of Americans say their belief is closer to the view wanting congressional action to reduce mass shootings while 38% say their view is closer to the belief that mass shootings cannot be reduced through legislation.
Democrats (78%) are more likely than Independents (43%) or Republicans (20%) to lean more toward congressional action.
Most American adults under 30 (64%) but just 43% of older adults lean toward congressional action.
Who or what do Americans hold most responsible for gun violence in the U.S.? 65% say they blame gangs and organized crime a lot, 56% place a lot of blame on drugs, and 53% place a lot of blame on mental illness. Other factors which many Americans blame a lot are a decline in morality (49%), leniency in the criminal justice system (49%), bad parenting (47%), and the gun lobby (38%).
The factors which Americans are most likely to say deserve no blame at all are the Second Amendment (45% say they don’t blame this at all) and gun manufacturers (43%).
Blame has risen for several factors since two years ago, when the share of Americans who would place a lot of blame for gangs and organized crime was 53%, compared to 65% now. It was 43% for leniency in the criminal-justice system, compared to 49% now. The share who blame other factors has fallen: Violence in video games was blamed a lot by 33% and is at 27% now, while social media was blamed a lot by 43% and is now 37%.
The factors Democrats are most likely to say shoulder a lot of the blame are the gun lobby (68%); Republican politicians (60%); and gangs and organized crime (59%). Republicans are likelier to say gangs and organized crime (77%); drugs (72%); and leniency in the criminal justice system (66%) deserve a lot of blame than anything else.
Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say they blame the gun lobby a lot (68% vs. 10%). They’re also far more likely than Republicans to say Republican politicians have a lot of the blame (60% vs. 4%). The number of guns owned is another polarizing factor: 57% of Democrats and 7% of Republicans say this should get a lot of blame.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say Democratic politicians hold a lot of the blame for gun violence in this country (38% vs. 8%). They’re also more likely to say leniency in the criminal justice system should get a lot of blame (66% of Republicans vs. 37% of Democrats). The same goes for the news media (47% vs. 19%).
Among a dozen measures polled about that might prevent gun violence, the ones Americans are most likely to support are requiring a waiting period before a person is able to purchase a gun (74% support) and not allowing people subject to restraining orders to have guns (74%). Majorities also support banning high-capacity ammunition clips (62%) and banning assault-style weapons (61%).
The hypothetical measure with the most support among Democrats is requiring a waiting period before a person is able to purchase a gun (88%). Among Republicans, it’s not allowing people subject to restraining orders to have guns (72%). A similar share of Republicans (70%) would support allowing teachers and officials to carry guns in K-12 schools.
Among people who own guns, the highest share support not allowing people subject to restraining orders to have guns (70%). Most would also support allowing teachers and officials to carry guns in K-12 schools (61%) and requiring a waiting period before a person is able to purchase a gun (58%).
As for the effectiveness of several measures in preventing mass school shootings specifically, 78% of Americans say metal detectors are very effective or somewhat effective. 73% think armed security guards are effective, 71% say the same of police officers, and 66% say the same of mental health counselors.
44% of Americans believe stricter gun laws would decrease the number of mass shootings in the U.S., slightly larger than the percentage of Americans (37%) who say it would not change the number of mass shootings in the country. Democrats (74%) are more likely than Independents (41%) and Republicans (16%) to believe stricter laws would decrease the number of mass shootings.
— Taylor Orth and Carl Bialik contributed to this article
Related:
- Several gun control measures have majority support — including huge majorities for some
- After recent mass shootings, a majority of Americans desire stricter gun control laws
- Gen Zers and Millennials are reshaping the party divide on guns
From Columbine to Parkland, Americans recall their earliest memories of mass school shootings
See the results for this YouGov poll
Methodology: The YouGov poll was conducted online on April 26 - 29, 2024 among 1,159 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel using sample matching. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given prior to November 1, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (33% Democratic, 31% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 4%.
Image: Getty (RichLegg)
