Do mass shootings in universities lead to permanent effects?
Using a stacked difference-in-differences design covering shootings between 1990 and 2025, I compare cohorts at affected universities before and after the shooting with cohorts at matched control universities. I find no detectable effects on time to degree, but undergraduates enrolled at the time of the shooting are 4.2% less likely to pursue further studies. Those […] The post Do mass shootings…
A University of Brown researcher has found that mass shootings on campus may have lingering impacts, despite not affecting graduation timelines. María Medellín-Esguerra's study, which examined universities between 1990 and 2025, revealed that students present during the attacks were 4.2% less likely to pursue further education. However, those who did go on to study were 1.3 percentage points more likely to enroll in health-related programs, with this trend continuing among later cohorts.
The author suggests that these findings point to an institutional and cultural legacy that extends beyond the individuals who witnessed the tragedies.
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