Many Americans thought 2013 would be the Year of Gun Control.
After the Sandy Hook massacre last December, a majority of the public favored tougher gun laws. But on April 17, efforts to expand background checks, ban assault weapons, and limit ammunition magazines failed in the Senate.
Within a week, two gunmen had killed nine people – in Federal Way, Wash., and Manchester, Ill. – and 2013 has seen gunmen commit six mass murders (in which at least four died), including the Sept. 16 killing of 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard.
More than 345 incidents have involved the shooting of at least four people. Headlines have ranged from a fatal Nevada school shooting, allegedly by a 12-year-old, to the accidental shootings of children as young as 2.
Obama has taken executive action on a host of issues related to gun violence, including flaws in mental-health policies. But the spike in demand for stricter national gun laws may have passed. Polls this fall showed support hovering just below 50 percent.
– Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, Staff writer
