New Poll: 77 Percent of Indiana Residents Believe People Subject to Domestic Violence Protection Orders Should be Prohibited From Buying Guns

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Everytown Survivor Network today released a new poll conducted by SurveyUSA that finds the overwhelming majority of Hoosiers — including three in four Indiana gun owners — support prohibiting domestic abusers subject to orders for protection from purchasing guns.

The poll results (available here) come as the Indiana General Assembly considers HB 1534, a bill that would prohibit gun possession by domestic abusers subject to orders for protection, and require that prohibited abusers turn in their guns upon becoming prohibited. More information about HB 1534 is available here.

The survey consisted of interviews of 1,150 Indiana adults. It found, among other results:

• 77 percent of respondents support prohibiting anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence protection order from purchasing a gun.
  
• 75 percent of gun owners surveyed support prohibiting anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence protection order from purchasing a gun.
  
• 68 percent of respondents support requiring anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence protection order to turn in any guns they have to law enforcement or to a licensed gun dealer.

“As a survivor of domestic violence, I know firsthand what it’s like to live under constant fear that an abuser will come back with a gun.

“To really reduce gun violence, we have to make it harder for dangerous people to get their hands on guns, and it’s encouraging to see that so many people in our state recognize this. I hope our representatives will act quickly to pass HB 1534 and close the dangerous loophole that makes it easy for domestic abusers to access guns right here in Indiana.”