Around 52% of American households have a firearm, which is the highest percentage since NBC News began asking the question back in 1999. And, according to a study from the Pew Research Center, 49% of Americans believe that owning a firearm increases safety with "personal protection" topping the list of reasons for owning a gun. And this issue came to the forefront in Texas after recent reports about the shooting at Uvalde focused on the shortcomings of the police response and their reported failure to act for more than one hour while already on the scene. This event encouraged many Texans to believe that they need to take their own precautions to protect themselves because they don't feel they can rely on the police.