Poll: Plurality of Voters Blame Mental Health Issues for Mass Shootings

A plurality of voters blame mental health issues for mass shootings committed by young men, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Tuesday found.

The survey asked, “Which is more to blame for mass shootings by young men in America — mental health, family problems, school problems, social media or access to firearms?”

A plurality — 40 percent — said mental health is to blame, followed by 30 percent who said access to firearms.

Ten percent said social media, followed by another ten percent who said family problems and four percent who said school problems. 

Unsurprisingly, opinions are divided along party lines. Most Republicans — 56 percent — blame mass shootings committed by young men on mental health but 51 percent of Democrats blame access to firearms. A plurality of independents — 40 percent — identify mental health as the cause. 

The survey also found that Americans support “red flag” laws, authorizing family members to petition courts to remove firearms “from a person deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.”

According to Rasmussen Reports:

Seventy-six percent (76%) of voters support such laws, including 51% who Strongly Support “red flag laws.” Only 17% are opposed to such laws.

Support for “red flag laws” crosses all partisan and demographic categories. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Democrats, 68% of Republicans and 73% of voters not affiliated with either major party support such laws, as do 78% of whites, 76% of black voters and 71% of other minorities.

The survey was conducted May 25-26, 2022 among 1,000 likely U.S. voters and has a three percent margin of error. It comes amid a contentious debate over gun control following the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, which left 19 children and two adults dead. 

President Joe Biden has made it clear that he supports gun control, using Memorial Day to make his pitch. 

“The Constitution, the Second Amendment was never absolute,” Biden told reporters, repeating the debunked statement that “you couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed and you couldn’t go out and purchase a lot of weapons.”

“The idea of a high caliber weapon, there is no rationale for it in terms of self-protection, hunting,” Biden added.