Citation

Miller CE, Bryant A. J. Consum. Aff. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Council on Consumer Interests, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/joca.12409

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Mass shootings are a human-made disaster that plagues the United States. However, data on mass shootings and firearm sales are not readily available in the United States. We compile a novel dataset to explore this issue by blending annual nationwide data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' records with mass shooting statistics over 33 years. This dataset overcomes limitations present in previous research on the topic of firearms and mass shootings. Our findings indicate a relationship between more deaths from mass shootings and the production of firearms (flow of firearms). We argue that this is due to an increase in demand derived from the salience of perceived mortality and consumer reactance. Implications on the gun control debate are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

firearms; gun control; mass shooting