LOCAL ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOLLOWING SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A COUNTY-LEVEL ANALYSIS FROM 2001 THROUGH 2019

Abstract

This thesis investigates the impact of school shootings on local businesses in the United States from 1999 to 2019, using a comprehensive dataset and a panel data fixed-effects regression model. The analysis controls for various factors, including mass shooting victims, total population, race proportions, age proportions, employment totals, business tax collected, government assistance, and time fixed effects. The primary objective is to determine whether school shootings have a significant influence on the number of businesses in affected counties. Our findings reveal that the number of school shooting casualties is positively correlated with the number of businesses in affected counties; however, this relationship is statistically insignificant. The study also highlights the importance of time fixed effects and business lags in the analysis. Further research is needed to explore the factors influencing the relationship between school shootings and local businesses, as well as the potential policy implications of these findings