News - Middle East: A recent poll has revealed most US firearm owners support political violence as a means to ends.

The poll conducted by researchers at the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program (VPRP) showed the openness of certain types of gun owners to the idea, and possibly the practice of violence as a political tool.
The mega-study, titled Firearm Ownership and Support for Political Violence in the United States, with more than 12,000 participants drawn from across the country and weighted for demographics, showed large numbers of Americans who have bought guns over the past four years or who regularly carry their loaded weapons in public are willing to engage in political violence, even to the extent of shooting a perceived opponent.
The study’s findings revealed Americans who have bought their weapons since the disruptions caused by COVID pandemic in 2020 and those who often or always carry guns in public expressed high levels of susceptibility to political violence. A similar, though less marked, trend was visible among owners of assault-style rifles of the sort used frequently in mass shootings.
Gun purchases have soared in the US since the start of the pandemic and mass shootings incidents across the country are running at an all-time high.