How Do Mass Shootings Affect Community Well-Being?

Aparna Soni and Erdal Tekin

Journal of Human Resources, 2025, vol. 60, issue 6, 1841-1880

Abstract: Over the past four decades, mass shootings have caused at least 1,000 deaths and 1,500 injuries in the United States, but little is known about how these tragedies influence people beyond those directly affected. This study uses nationally representative data from the Gallup-Healthways survey to assess spillover effects of mass shootings on individuals’ community and emotional well-being. Leveraging differences in the timing of mass shootings across counties between 2008 and 2016, we find that these incidents reduce community and emotional well-being for at least three months post-shooting. Mass shootings have high societal costs and create adverse effects that extend beyond those immediately exposed.

JEL-codes: I18 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
Note: DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.1220-11385R1
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://jhr.uwpress.org/cgi/reprint/60/6/1841
A subscription is required to access pdf files. Pay per article is available.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:60:y:2025:i:6:p:1841-1880

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Human Resources from University of Wisconsin Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().