An estimated 60 million Americans live in states where gun ownership is illegal, according to a new study.
Key points:Gun ownership is widespread in the US, but a survey has found most Americans are unlikely to own a gunThe US is the only western country without a ban on handgunsThe study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found more than three-quarters of Americans surveyed said they “strongly” or “somewhat” support a ban, while 28% said they strongly or somewhat opposed the idea.
The poll also found more Americans support laws that would require people to prove they are not mentally ill before buying a gun.
“These data demonstrate that gun ownership in the United States is pervasive and widespread,” the study’s authors wrote.
The researchers said gun ownership was widespread, but most Americans were unlikely to acquire one.””
We argue that this does indicate that the current status quo may be unsustainable in the long term.”
The researchers said gun ownership was widespread, but most Americans were unlikely to acquire one.
“We found that more than 60 million US residents are likely to own guns, and many Americans are not likely to use a gun for self defence,” the authors wrote in the study.
The researchers also noted that the US has not had a single mass shooting in the state since 1992, despite a ban that is widely seen as ineffective.
The study found that in 2013, only 6.3% of Americans aged 18 to 24 said they were aware of a mass shooting, while nearly 70% of adults aged 55 to 64 knew someone who had been injured or killed by a mass shooter.
“This suggests that mass shootings are rare in the U.S. despite having an effective and robust gun control regime,” the researchers wrote.