Poll shows Americans divided over gun control after consecutive mass shootings

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- A new national survey released on Thursday showed that public attitudes toward gun control remain divided in the United States, even after news of deadly mass shootings dominated press coverage over the past weeks.

A CNN/ORC International poll released on Thursday indicates that about 50 percent of those surveyed say they favor no restrictions or only minor restrictions on owning guns, while about 48 percent of the respondents support major restrictions or a complete ban on gun ownership by individuals except police and other authorized personnel.

The numbers are identical to where they were in 2011, and the number for those supporting major restrictions or a complete ban has remained in the 48-50 percent range for more than a decade.

There are also different attitudes toward the issue among genders, people with different political inclinations, and people living in different parts of the country as well.

"There are gender and ideological gaps on this issue, with more than six in 10 women and two thirds of self-described liberals supporting major restrictions or a complete ban, compared to just 34 percent of men and 36 percent of self-described conservatives," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "And major restrictions on guns are more popular in urban areas and in the Northeast than in the rest of the country."

However, the poll also finds that 96 percent of Americans are in favor of background checks of gun buyers, and 91 percent support laws to prevent convicted felons or people with mental health problems from owning guns.

The poll was conducted by ORC International on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 1,010 adult Americans were questioned by telephone in the survey. The poll's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

Before the poll was conducted, two deadly shootings -- one this past Sunday at a Wisconsin Sikh temple and the other at a movie theater in Colorado late last month -- dominated U.S. media reports, bringing the issue of gun control back into the national debate. Enditem

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