U.S.

Donations To The NRA Spiked After The Parkland School Shooting

Federal Election Commission filings show donations tripled from January to February and hit a 15-year record in March.

Donations To The NRA Spiked After The Parkland School Shooting
Getty Images
SMS

The NRA's saw a major spike in donations following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Specifically, that money went to the NRA's Political Victory Fund, the action committee that ranks political candidates and campaigns for the ones the it supports. 

The Parkland shooting took place in February and left 17 people dead. That same month, NRA donations tripled from the month before. Federal Election Commission filings say the NRA received just under $248,000 in January. It received more than $779,000 in February and $2.4 million in March

The NRA has faced intense scrutiny since the shooting. It's not entirely clear if the donations are part of its supporters' response to that or part of a larger trend. History shows consumers display increased interest in guns and gun sales increase after mass shootings. 

Some of that sales bump is likely due to fears the event will prompt stricter gun laws and make it more difficult to purchase a gun.