57% Say Gun Laws in US Are the Cause of Mass Shootings

Recent shooting incidents in the US have sent shockwaves across the world. It is raising questions about gun laws in the country and its citizens’ safety. One incident occurred in Buffalo, New York where 10 African-American people were killed via gunshot wounds and 3 others injured. The second incident occurred in a school in Uvalde, Texas killing 19 children and 2 adults.

Accordingly, Real Research — the online survey app launched a survey on shootings and gun laws in the US. Specifically, the survey aims to know what the public thinks and feels about the two incidents. It also seeks public views on the  gun laws in the U.S. Here are the results.

Highlights

• 83.58% are aware of the US shooting incident in Uvalde, Texas.
• 59.68% want to implement better, effective gun laws in the US.
• 47.71% of respondents’ opinions have changed considerably.

Survey on Shootings and Gun Laws in the U.S

The survey starts by asking about respondents’ awareness of the Uvalde Texas shooting incident. In response, 83.58% say yes and 16.42% say no. Accordingly, the survey on shootings and gun laws in the US asks respondents about their immediate reactions to the incident. In reply, 54.69% felt ‘sadness’ while 19.14% felt ‘anger’. Furthermore, 14.33% felt ‘despair’, whereas 10.69% felt ‘disappointment’.

Statistically, 27 shootings took place in the US in this year alone. The survey asks respondents the causes for such mass shootings. In response, 48.87% believe that it could be due to the ‘rise in hate crimes influenced by Homophobia’. However, 13.75% believe it is the increase in hate crimes driven by Racism. Whereas, 12.66% believe one cause can be ‘the U.S gun law and culture’. 4.46% think it can be due to ‘attributions to mental health’.

Causes for Mass Shootings in the U.S

Next, studies show that Americans own 42% of the world’s guns. The survey then asks respondents why that is so. In reply, 57.29% say it is due to the gun laws in place. 14.97% believe it’s because of the lack of regulations to control the use of guns. However, 8.06% think it’s due to ‘gun ownership for hunting’. Whereas 6.65% believe ‘early age exposure to guns and weapons in the household’ can be a factor. In comparison, 6.51% feel that there is a need for protection due to rising hate crimes. 

Then, the survey asks ‘does owning a gun offer more protection than the risks it entails?’A majority of 52.09% say ‘yes, it offers more protection’ while 24.14% say ‘no, it presents more risks’.

Moreover, the survey on shootings and gun laws in the US asks respondents about gun laws in their own countries. 51.08% say laws are very strict, 14.97% say they’re strict, and 12.07% say they are neutral.  A further 3.75% say the laws are not strict, whereas 3.40% say the laws are not strict at all.

Implementation of Better and Effective Gun Laws in the U.S

Furthermore, the survey asks respondents what steps can be taken to use guns safely. All 59.68% suggest that there should be better, effective gun laws. 11.77% feel that there should be a ban or controlled use of guns. Moreover, 11.67% advise establishing a culture and rules stressing gun safety. Meanwhile, 6.39% feel there should be a ‘prohibition of the gun sales to people under 21 years old’.

Next, the survey asks what countries besides the US have high rates of mass shootings. A majority of 46.49% say ‘UK’, 8.96% chose ‘Canada’, 7.89% reply ‘India’ while 7.06% say ‘Mexico’.  Furthermore, 5.78% replied ‘Brazil’, 4.97% say ‘Australia’, and 3.18% think ‘Venezuela’ as the highest recorded mass shootings.

Lastly, the survey asks if the shootings affected the respondents’ views on citizens’ safety in the US. All 47.71% reply ‘my opinions have changed considerably’. 15.92% are neutral about their views, whereas 13.26% say their opinions have changed moderately. Lastly, 5.77% say that their opinions have not changed at all.