"A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 59 per cent of American Adults favour a proposal to speed up the death penalty process for those guilty of mass shootings," the polling organization said in a press release. "Just 21 per cent are opposed."
Another 21 per cent of Americans are still undecided on the subject, according to Rasmussen.
Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short stated that US Attorney General William Barr had drafted legislation that would expedite the death penalty for those guilty of mass killings. According to Pence's chief of staff, the death penalty would be a part of the gun legislation package that the White House would suggest to Congress.
The statement came after Democratic leaders in both the US House and Senate slammed President Donald Trump for his reversal on support for legislation that would call for more intensive background checks for all gun purchases in the United States. Mr Trump, for his part, said he was in favour of background checks and has scheduled meetings with members of Congress on the issue.
Last month saw a new wave of mass shootings in the US, with West Texas being rocked by deadly shootings that happened near the cities of Midland and Odessa on 31 August, killing seven people.
In July, 22 people were killed and more than 20 wounded after a gunman opened fire in a Walmart shopping centre in El Paso, less than 24 hours before another gunman killed nine people and wounded 27 others in a separate shooting in Dayton.
