Pro-gun political action committees (PACs) don’t retreat after tragedies; they mobilize. When kids die, checks fly.
A high school student recently opened fire in a high school cafeteria near Denver. At nearly the same time in nearby Utah, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was brutally murdered on a college campus in front of a crowd and his wife and kids. Two weeks ago, a shooter entered a school in Minneapolis, shooting 17 children and killing two. Every time a child or young person is killed in a school shooting, Americans demand answers. They hold vigils, make posters, and call on their representatives to act. But there’s another reaction, one rarely seen by most: Behind the scenes, the gun lobby quietly reaches for its checkbook.
Pro-gun political action committees (PACs) don’t retreat after these tragedies; they mobilize. We analyzed 25 years of campaign finance data alongside every fatal K-12 school shooting since 2000. The findings are chilling. After fatal school shootings, pro-gun PAC contributions to House candidates in the affected district rise by over 30 percent. But, it doesn’t end there. When the shooting occurs near an election, contributions surge by 1,730 percent. When kids die, checks fly.
These contributions aren’t symbolic gestures. They are strategic, targeted, and precisely timed. This surge in money only appears after fatal school shootings, not after other mass shootings or nonfatal incidents. The gun lobby saves its firepower for moments when public grief peaks, and lawmakers face maximum pressure to act.
The timing of the gun lobby’s contributions is crucial. Contributions spike dramatically in the two months prior to an election, precisely when candidates are vulnerable, and voters are most attentive. At any point in the eight months leading up to an election, contributions in the impacted district remain over 120 percent higher than in districts without a fatal school shooting. The gun lobby’s contributions help candidates remain silent and insulated at critical moments.
