Public split on whether making it harder to sown guns would cut mass shootings % who say ifmore Americans owned guns, there would be % who say ifitwas U.S., harder for people to legally
The public is mixed when it comes to the potential impact that more Americans owning guns would have on crime in the U.S. Comparable shares say that if more Americans owned guns, there would be more crime (37%) or there would be no impact on the amount of crime (33%). About one-in-three say there would be less crime.
Public split on whether making it harder  | to sown guns would cut mass shootings  | % who say ifmore Americans owned guns, there  | would be  | More crime No difference Less crime  | AII adults  | 33  | 29  | Rep/Lean Rep 15  | 35  | 50  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 56  | 31  | 12  | Gun owner 12  | 53  | 34  | Non-gun owner  | 48  | 33  | 18  | % who say ifitwas U.S., harder for people to legally  | obtain shootings guns in the U.S., there would be  | mass  | shootings guns  | Fewer  | No difference  | More  | AII adults  | 47  | 46  | Rep/Lean Rep  | 22  | 67  | Dem/Lean Dem  | 67  | 30  | Gun owner  | 24  | 66  | 10  | Non-gun owner  | 58  | 38  | Note: No answer not shown.  | Source: Survey of US adults conducted Sept 24-0ct.7 2018  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 