Background The burden of injuries and disabilities caused by gun violence in Nigeria has impacted negatively on the development of areas in which gun violence is endemic. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research on the knowledge and attitude towards gun violence in Nigeria.

Objectives To validate the Knowledge and Attitude to Gun Violence Questionnaire (KAGVQ) among rural and urban residents of Abuja, the Capital of Nigeria.

Methods Validation of KAGVQ was done through factor analysis using principal component analysis method. The questionnaire had two subscales named Knowledge and Attitude. Each item was assigned a code measured with Likert scale type questions and self-administered with an Open Data Kit/hand held computer. A threshold was set to determine significant loadings of the items within the subscales.

Findings Analysis of the principal components on 239 respondents revealed 14-item subscales from the initial 15-item questionnaire (Knowledge subscale had 6 items and Attitude subscale 9). Three items; one in the knowledge subscale and two in the Attitude subscale were coded in the reversed order.

Conclusion The KAGVQ was stable in population of our study. It may be applicable in other parts of Nigeria.