Fifty-four percent of Americans support stricter gun control laws, while a little more than half are in favor of a ban on semi-automatic handguns, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Monday.
The pollsters noted that between 50 and 52 percent of Americans have supported tighter gun control laws since 2008, lower than the high-water mark of 67 percent in both 1999 and 2000.
Meanwhile, the 52 percent who endorse a ban on semiautomatic handguns is also comparable to what’s been shown in recent ABC/WaPo polls. Monday’s survey also showed that 59 percent support a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips. More than half of respondents said that last week’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. reflect “broader problems in American society” rather than a mere isolated incident.
