Most Americans say government ineptitude was more responsible for the deadly Parkland mass shooting than insufficient gun control laws, according to a newly released poll.
The Rasmussen Reports survey posted Tuesday found that 54 percent of U.S. adults polled blamed the failure of government agencies to respond to numerous red flags about the confessed gunman, while 33 percent attributed the shooting to a lack of gun restrictions.
The rest of those surveyed assigned the lion’s share of the blame for the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on something else.
The survey comes amid a national debate over the Feb. 14 shooting, which has fueled protests and calls for tougher federal firearms legislation as well as questions over how the 19-year-old shooting suspect slipped through the cracks despite years of warning signs.
Republicans were most likely to blame the government: 75 percent of Republicans polled and 55 percent of unaffiliated voters said public agencies were most responsible, as opposed to 36 percent of Democrats.
Fifty percent of Democrats surveyed said insufficient gun control laws were more to blame for the mass shooting, which left 17 dead.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has ordered an investigation into the law-enforcement response to the shooting amid outrage over reports that at least three sheriff’s deputies remained outside the school as the attack was taking place.
The FBI has issued an apology for failing to follow up adequately on a Jan. 5 tip from a woman who said the suspect, Nikolas Cruz, had weapons and was capable of “getting into a school and just shooting the place up.”
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office has said it received 23 calls for service over the years about Mr. Cruz or his brother, although CNN said public records show the number from 2008 to 2017 was actually 45.
Mr. Cruz was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and is being held without bond.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults was conducted Feb. 25-26, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percent.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.