In the days and weeks following the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the National Rifle Association saw a significant spike in donations.
In fact, reports from the Federal Election Commission show donations to the NRA’s Political Victory Fund tripled from January to February.
In January, the NRA collected almost $248,000 in individual contributions. In February, they collected more than $779,000.
It’s no secret that interest in guns and gun sales — as evidenced by anecdotes and manufacturing numbers — have until recently gotten boosts from mass shootings. So it would stand to reason that donations to the NRA would get a bump as well.
Since the Parkland shooting happened in the middle of the month, one could argue the relationship between it and the spike in donations is hard to prove.
However, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks political spending, tracked itemized contributions (donations of $200 or more by an individual) in the days before and after the shooting. According to their data, in the two weeks after the shooting, itemized contributions to the NRA doubled from the previous two weeks.
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SOURCE: CNN, AJ Willingham
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