Poll results reveal a discrepancy between age groups. More than one-third (39%) of younger adults, between 18 and 29, view stricter gun control as a means to prevent such events, while only 26% of adults aged 65 and older agree.  However, more than half of young adults (53%) state that increased gun control would not help, a position which increases as people get older, as evidenced by the nearly three-quarters of adults (72%) over 65 who agree with that sentiment.

More than half of respondents (54%) state that even if more people carried guns for self-protection, tragedies such as that at Virginia Tech would not be prevented. However, 38% of respondents believe that more armed Americans could prevent further tragedy.

Dramatic differences in opinion exist between Democratic and Republican respondents, with 89% of Democrats stating it would not prevent future tragedies if more Americans armed themselves, compared to only 24% of Republicans who agree. Most Republicans (65%) would be in favor of arming more Americans, compared with a mere 6% of Democrats. Independents were evenly split in their opinions; 48% favor increased personal armament as a deterrent, while 44% don’t believe that this is a solution.

Overall, nearly half (45%) of Americans do not believe that the Virginia Tech tragedy will lead to stricter gun control laws. Nearly the same number of people (40%) does not know if gun control measures may be tightened.

Americans differ on the topic of federal government regulation, with nearly a quarter (21%) of respondents stating that they do not believe that the government should regulate firearms. Forty percent disagree, saying that the federal government should take the lead in firearm regulation.

Americans have been discussing the role that campus security plays in the event of such tragedies, with many questioning whether police and campus security had done enough to prevent the shootings, especially in the wake of the first shooting, which took the lives of 2 students in their dorm.  (Two hours later, the killer completed his spree, killing another 30 people plus himself; this information led the public to question why the second attack had not been prevented). Most poll respondents say that they don’t favor a “dramatic increase” in campus security, with 65 percent stating that they disagree that such measures should be taken in order to avoid future incidents, but nearly a third of respondents stated they would support additional procedures, even if they led to higher college and university costs.

The MSN-Zogby poll measured what people predict will or will not happen in terms of gun control in America; the Associated Press-Ipsos measured poll Americans’ feelings and emotional states following the tragedy.  Ipsos, an international polling firm, polled 996 Americans by telephone on April 17 through April 19, 2007. Respondents included 23% Republicans, 37% Democrats, 20% Independents, 17% Other, and 3% Not Sure/Don’t Know. Thirty-seven percent identified themselves as “Total Conservative” and 24 percent called themselves “Total Liberal.”

Findings indicate that nearly half of respondents (47%) feel that gun control laws should be “made more strict,” while 38 percent state that they should remain the same.

Sixty two percent of respondents classified gun violence as a “very serious” societal problem, and 25 percent called the issue “somewhat serious.”  Despite this finding, most poll respondents admitted that they “rarely/never” worry about becoming victims (65%), though 12 percent say that they “frequently” worry, and 23 percent state that they “occasionally” worry about it.

More than half of the respondents are not gun owners, with almost one third (32%) stating that they own a gun, and 67 percent stating they do not.  Most respondents do not know anyone who was personally victimized by gun violence within the past three years (78%). Of the 22 percent who answered “yes” to this question, 77% answered that the incident did not influence them to buy a gun for themselves.

Feelings that were discussed regarding the Virginia Tech tragedy included those surrounding shame that the violence occurred in America (52%), and the worry that it is difficult to be safe “anywhere these days” (45%). More than half of these respondents (55%) felt that the killings could have been prevented. Forty-eight percent responded that “there are too many guns in this country,” while exactly half said that the thought “never occurred to them.”

Overall results of the AP-Ipsos poll demonstrate that women and minorities are more in favor of stricter gun laws than men and whites, and that Democrats and city dwellers are more anti-gun than Republicans and suburbanites and those in rural communities. Results of this poll, and of the MSN-Zogby poll, indicate that feelings on gun control remain consistent across demographics and within individuals before and after a tragedy.