Fear of Mass Shootings and Gun Control Sentiment: A Study of Emerging Adults in Contemporary America

ABSTRACT Objective Emerging adults today have been labeled the “massacre generation,” as they have come of age during an unprecedented era of public mass violence in the United States. In this exploratory study, we examined whether fear of mass shootings was linked to support for gun control among this cohort, and whether the association between fear and gun control sentiment varied by political, demographic, and regional characteristics. Methods We analyzed racially representative survey data from 1674 US emerging adults (aged 18–29). Regression models with interaction terms were used to test the associations of interest, controlling for relevant covariates. Results Fear of mass shootings was positively associated with gun control sentiment among emerging adults overall, though the association was modest. However, moderation analyses revealed striking heterogeneity: among Republicans, conservatives, men, and residents of the Northeast, greater fear of mass shootings was associated with decreased support for gun control. Race/ethnicity and educational attainment did not moderate this relationship. Conclusion Despite growing up amid increasing threats of mass violence, emerging adults are not uniform in their sentiments toward gun control. Instead, fear of mass shootings may serve to polarize rather than unite this cohort along political and demographic lines.