AP-Ipsos Poll On Gun Violence

Friday, April 20th 2007, 3:50 pm

By: News On 6

The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on public attitudes about guns, gun violence and the Virginia Tech shootings was conducted April 17-19 and was based on telephone interviews with 996 adults from all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The poll was conducted by Ipsos, an international polling firm.

Results were weighted to represent the population by demographic factors such as age, sex, region, race and income.

No more than one time in 20 should chance variations in the sample cause the results to vary by more than plus or minus 3 percentage points from the answers that would be obtained if all people in the U.S. were polled.

There are other sources of potential error in polls, including the wording and order of questions. Results may not total 100% because of rounding. An ``X'' signifies less than 1%.

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1. Should gun laws be made more strict, less strict, or remain as they are?

_More strict, 47%

_Less strict, 11%

_Remain as they are, 38%

_Not sure, 4%

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2. How serious a problem is gun violence today?

_Very serious, 62%

_Somewhat serious, 25%

_Not too serious, 8%

_Not at all serious, 4%

_Not sure, 1%

SUMMARY

SERIOUS _ 87%

NOT SERIOUS _ 12%

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3. How often do you worry about becoming a victim of gun violence?

_Frequently, 12%

_Occasionally, 23%

_Rarely, 33%

_Never, 32%

_Not sure, X%

SUMMARY

FREQUENTLY/OCCASIONALLY _ 34%

RARELY/NEVER _ 65%

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(Results from early October 2004 to following question are in parentheses)

4. Are you a gun owner, or not?

_Yes, 32% (31)

_No, 67% (68)

_Not sure, 1% (X)

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5. Do you personally know anyone who has been a victim of a crime that involved a gun in the past three years, or not?

_Yes, 22%

_No, 78%

_Not sure, X%

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(QUESTION 6 ONLY ASKED OF THOSE WHO KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF A CRIME THAT INVOLVED A GUN IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.)

6. Did this incident cause you to consider buying a gun, or not?

_Yes, 23%

_No, 77%

_Not sure, X%

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(FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ASKED OF ALL)

7. Would you be more or less likely to support a candidate for president who favors stricter gun control laws? Is that much (more/less) likely or somewhat (more/less) likely?

_Much more likely, 31%

_Somewhat more likely, 23%

_Somewhat less likely, 11%

_Much less likely, 21%

_Would not make a difference (not read), 11%

_Not sure, 3%

SUMMARY

MORE LIKELY _ 55%

LESS LIKELY _ 32%

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8. I'm going to read some ways that people have been feeling about the killings at Virginia Tech, and I'd like you to tell me whether the statement represents your very deepest feeling, a feeling that was somewhat deep, whether the statement crossed your mind, or whether it never occurred to you.

Felt ashamed that this could happen in this country

_Very deepest feeling, 35%

_Feeling that was somewhat deep, 17%

_Crossed your mind, 21%

_Never occurred to you, 25%

_Not sure, 2%

SUMMARY

_VERY DEEPEST FEELING/SOMEWHAT DEEP FEELING _ 52%

_CROSSED YOUR MIND/NEVER OCCURRED TO YOU _ 46%

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Wondered if you could really be safe anywhere these days

_Very deepest feeling, 25%

_Feeling that was somewhat deep, 20%

_Crossed your mind, 30%

_Never occurred to you, 24%

_Not sure, 2%

SUMMARY

_VERY DEEPEST FEELING/SOMEWHAT DEEP FEELING _ 45%
_CROSSED YOUR MIND/NEVER OCCURRED TO YOU _ 53%

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Felt the deaths could have been prevented

_Very deepest feeling, 32%

_Feeling that was somewhat deep, 23%

_Crossed your mind, 25%

_Never occurred to you, 16%

_Not sure, 4%

SUMMARY

_VERY DEEPEST FEELING/SOMEWHAT DEEP FEELING, 55%

_CROSSED YOUR MIND/NEVER OCCURRED TO YOU, 41%

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Felt sorrow for the victims and their families

_Very deepest feeling, 77%

_Feeling that was somewhat deep, 13%

_Crossed your mind, 6%

_Never occurred to you, 3%

_Not sure, 1%

SUMMARY

VERY DEEPEST FEELING/SOMEWHAT DEEP FEELING _ 90%

CROSSED YOUR MIND/NEVER OCCURRED TO YOU_ 9%

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Felt there may be too many guns in the country

_Very deepest feeling, 34%

_Feeling that was somewhat deep, 14%

_Crossed your mind, 20%

_Never occurred to you, 30%

_Not sure, 2%

SUMMARY

_VERY DEEPEST FEELING/SOMEWHAT DEEP FEELING, 48%

_CROSSED YOUR MIND/NEVER OCCURRED TO YOU, 50%