Poll Shows Spike In Support For Tougher Gun Laws After Connecticut School Shooting
By Larry Kane
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Since the tragedy unfolded in Newtown Connecticut, gun control has been in the news. Now there is the very first indication of changes in public opinion.
It is a nationwide survey conducted by CBS News in the last three days and it shows that, since the mass murder, there is a new majority favoring a tougher form of gun control.
These are major figures: 57 percent of Americans want federal restrictions to be more strict on guns, up from 39 percent in April. But, this is interesting: the number spiked after the shooting of Congressman Giffords in Arizona, but then trailed back about a year later.
READ: Support For Stricter Gun Control At 10-Year High
Forty-two percent think stricter gun laws could have prevented the shooting. That is still a strong number in this survey.
Geographically, the numbers for change are highest in the Northeast and the west.
Also, parents of students are not the only people seeking change. The 57 percent is tracked along all age brackets.
The tragedy has also (according to the public opinion survey) attracted the attention of 69 percent of the American people.
