A Year After Sandy Hook, Support Still Strong For Gun Background Checks
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Nearly a year after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, Americans still overwhelmingly support background checks for gun purchases, a CBS News poll shows.
Eighty-five percent of respondents favor a federal law requiring background checks, according to the survey. That number, however, has dipped from 92 percent shortly after the Dec. 14 shootings that left 28 people dead, including 20 children and gunman Adam Lanza.
Support for the screenings was strong among Democrats (92 percent), Republicans (84 percent) and independents (81 percent). Even 84 percent of gun owners said they favored background checks.
LINK: Complete results from CBS News poll
But the poll showed Americans were split over whether gun laws should be stricter. Forty-nine percent said they supported more stringent laws, down from 57 percent a year ago. Twelve percent said they should less strict, and 36 percent said they should be kept as is.
When asked if they believed stricter gun laws would deter gun violence, 43 percent said they would have little or no impact. Twenty-nine percent said they would have some impact, while 27 percent said they would make a big difference.
Forty-four percent of those surveyed said better mental health screening would make a significant impact in detering gun violence. Thirty-three percent said it would make some impact, while 21 percent said it would make little to no difference.
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