Document Type
Working Paper
Date of This Version
5-1-2018
Keywords
gun violence, firearms, mass shootings, gun sales
JEL Classification
D91
Abstract
The United States experiences mass shootings which cause the American public to respond in various ways. One measurable aspect is the demand for firearms following a shooting. Using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System to proxy firearm sales, I create an ARMA model that estimates which characteristic of a mass shooting dictates the largest firearms purchase response. I find that President Obama’s tenure caused 210,000 more firearms sales per month. I also find that if the mass shooter was an internationally influenced terrorist, firearms sales increased by about 420,000 for the two-month period.
Working Paper Number
1804
Recommended Citation
Chau, Elliot, "The Effects of Mass Shootings on Gun Sales" (2018). Economics Department Working Papers. Paper 181.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/econ_working_papers/181