Degree Year

2021

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

Advisor(s)

Evan Kresch
Martin Saavedra
Barbara J. Craig
Christopher Andrew James Cotter

Keywords

K-12 school shootings, Gun acquisition rates, Google Trends data

Abstract

In this paper, I seek to understand how communities respond to tragic events involving violence, exploring the relationship between school shootings and gun acquisition rates. Using National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as a proxy for firearm acquisition rates, I estimate an event study framework, finding that gun acquisition rates increase by up to 32% one month after a school shooting compared to firearm acquisition rates one month before a school shooting. Furthermore, I supplement my analysis by using Google Search data on firearms. Additionally, I stratify my analysis by the four census regions and whether a school shooting occurred in a majority-minority county. My results contribute to existing literature, investigating the linkages between Google search data and social phenomena and the impact of mass shootings on the social sphere.

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