Most Americans favor major restrictions on gun ownership after Sandy Hook shooting: CNN poll

GlobalPost

Most Americans support major restrictions or an outright ban on gun ownership, according to the results of a CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday.

The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday after a lone gunmen on Friday shot dead 20 children, six teachers and his own mother before turning the gun on himself in one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

Adam Lanza used a semi-automatic rifle in the shooting rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

The survey showed 52 percent of respondents favored “major restrictions or an outright ban” on gun ownership, up from 50 percent in recent years and five percentage points higher than a CNN survey conducted after other mass shootings this year, including the Colorado movie theater in July.

Forty-six percent of people surveyed believe government and society can take action to prevent future gun violence, up 13 percentage points from January 2011.

"All of those numbers are much higher than they were in a CNN poll conducted in January, 2011, indicating that the tragedy in Connecticut may be affecting more Americans more intensely than other recent attacks," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland was quoted as saying.

More from GlobalPost: Full coverage of Sandy Hook shooting

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