Experts with Johns Hopkins University have suggested that laws that place restrictions or limitations on the access to firearms under certain conditions may be effective.
“Laws that temporarily bar individuals convicted of violent misdemeanors or those who are under restraining orders for domestic violence [from purchasing or possessing firearms], we found, reduce homicides,” according to one gun policy researcher.
The report showed that laws requiring verification of identity to obtain a license from law enforcement to purchase a gun is supported by more than two-thirds of Americans.
Laws prohibiting gun possession amid temporary domestic violence restraining order are supported by most Americans, including 80 percent of Republicans.
Laws prohibiting the purchase of handguns by individuals under the age of 21 is supported by most Americans, the report also finds.
“Despite this steady support for certain gun control measures, the challenge has consistently been translating that support into legislation by policymakers,” the authors of the report explained in a news release.
“The narrative in our country is that there’s a great divide by gun ownership or political party on solutions to gun violence, and that’s why we can’t get anything done.”
