Voter support for stricter gun laws has spiked in the aftermath of February’s Parkland shooting and subsequent anti-gun violence rallies and student walkouts nationwide. In fact, Americans now view acting to protect people from gun violence as a higher priority than safeguarding gun ownership rights by 57-34 percent. Those numbers were nearly even (46-47 percent) in October 2015. ABC News writes:
In the wake of the high school shooting that killed 17 in Parkland, Florida, in February, 62 percent of Americans now support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, up from 50 percent just since mid-February and 45 percent in late 2015 to its highest since January 2011.
More, 72 percent, support raising the legal age to buy rifles and shotguns to 21 in all states, and 85 percent favor red flag laws empowering the police to take guns away from those judged to be a danger to themselves and others. Such laws have been enacted in six states and proposed in 23 more.
The article notes that such shifts "aren't the norm," even in the wake of major mass shootings. Views on gun laws have generally remained relatively steady, which is what makes the changes most notable.
Whether voters who would like to see stricter gun laws enacted make the issue a priority at the ballot box in November remains to be seen. But fully 78 percent of those surveyed said they thought it was important to back candidates whose policies on guns reflected their own views.