Gun Poll: Support for stricter gun laws jumps after Colorado shootings

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Support for gun control jumped in the week after the high school shootings in Colorado, according to an Associated Press poll, with a majority of Americans saying tougher gun laws are the most effective way to stem violence.

That 51 percent figure is up 9 percentage points from just before the deaths at the school. Also, 40 percent of adults said parents should face charges if a child younger than 18 commits a crime with a gun.

ICR of Media, PA, conducted one poll in the four days before the April 20 rampage. Some of the questions were repeated in an April 28-May 2 poll, allowing the impact of the shootings on the public to be measured.

Before the school shootings, 47 percent said better enforcement of existing laws was the way to limit gun violence, while 42 percent said tougher gun laws would be more effective. After the shootings, 51 percent said tougher gun laws would be more effective, while 39 percent said better enforcement.

A similar increase was found when people were asked whether they favored or opposed stricter gun-control laws. In the first poll, 55 percent were in favor and 40 percent were opposed. The second poll found 63 percent in favor and 31 percent opposed.

Whether President Clinton and others who are calling for tougher gun laws succeed may depend, in part, on whether the increased support is permanent or merely a short-lived reaction to the tragedy. Clinton's proposals include raising the legal age for handgun possession from 18 to 21 and holding negligent parents responsible when their children commit crimes with guns.

"It just seems it's too easy for minors to get guns, not just off the street but from within the household," said Maria Vigil, a 26-year-old mother of four from Fort Collins, Colo., about 60 miles north of Denver. "I like the idea of waiting until you're 21 to buy."

National Rifle Association President Charlton Heston has argued that better enforcement of current gun laws is the answer.

Those most likely to shift positions after the Colorado shootings were senior citizens and women. Just over half of older Americans supported tougher gun controls before the shooting, compared with more than two-thirds afterward. Among women, two-thirds supported tougher gun laws in the first poll; about three-quarters favored them after the shootings.

When people were asked after the shootings what one step would be most effective in stopping school violence, 27 percent said reducing violence in TV shows and movies, 23 percent favored using metal detectors in schools and 21 percent chose increased counseling for teens.

It stands to reason that having more violent images in movies, TV shows and video games would affect people's behavior, said Gary MacTavish, a 54-year-old engineer and father of three grown children.

"American private industry spends billions of dollars on advertising because it works," said MacTavish, of St. Croix Falls, Wis.

The error margin in the most recent AP poll of 1,006 adults was plus or minus 3 percentage points. The error margin in the earlier poll of 765 adults was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Given a choice of five factors as most to blame for the Colorado shootings - school officials, availability of guns, the boys' parents, TV and movies or the Internet - about four out of 10 pointed to the shooters' parents. Other top factors cited were availability of guns, 24 percent, and TV and movies, 14 percent.

The shootings made many reflect on the responsibilities of parents.

"When I saw the Colorado thing, it scared me a lot," said Mati Nixon, a 28-year-old legal assistant and mother of two from Dallas. "They were breaking glass in the garage," she said, suggesting that should have raised questions.

"Why is my son dressing in black? What's going on in the garage? I do blame their parents."

Tess Salcedo, a 32-year-old mother of three from Lakewood, Calif., agreed.

"It's harder to hassle with your kids, easier to just say 'do what you want.' That's not the right thing to do _ it's not being a parent," she said. "But if a kid is old enough to do an adult crime, the kid should pay."