Gun control laws across the country are likely to face legal challenges in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that individuals have a Second Amendment right to own a gun for self-defense. The ruling struck down only the District of Columbia's ban on handguns, but a lawsuit has already been filed against Chicago's strict gun laws. In its ruling, the high court said governments still have a right to impose a wide range of gun regulations, such as licensing or barring ownership by felons or the mentally ill.

Surveys find two-thirds of Americans do believe the Constitution guarantees the right to own a gun and only one-third favor a complete handgun ban. Self-defense is one of the major reasons gun owners cite for having a gun, along with target shooting and hunting. But the general public is divided on whether owning a gun makes a home safer or more dangerous. And while most people do support stricter gun regulations, surveys find considerable doubt on about how effective they would be.