Cayman's Story complements a 28-page report released Tuesday by the Brady Center, highlighting the truth about suicide and guns.
Washington, D.C., September 10, 2015 – In a moving video by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Pennsylvania father Farid Naib recounts the life and suicide of his 13-year-old son, Cayman. "Cayman's Story", released Tuesday to coincide with National Suicide Prevention Week, has been viewed more than 100,000 times and has generated potentially live-saving dialogue.
The emotional video captures Farid Naib as he shares the story of his son's suicide just six months ago. Cayman retrieved his father’s handgun from the home and shot himself outside, minutes after receiving an email from his school. Naib states that had that gun not been kept in the house, Cayman would still be alive.
"I'm trying to turn a negative not so much into a positive, but if I can prevent other people from [experiencing] this...I need to do that," said Farid. "I thought I'd done everything I needed to do, and I was totally wrong...other people have reached out to me, and I'm not the only one."
Response to the video has been overwhelmingly positive as the view count soared and viewers took to their keyboards to offer their own perspectives and address the risks of gun ownership.
“God bless you for sharing your experience. You are saving lives now. Today I finally move to get rid of my father’s old shotgun. It’s not been fired for 50 years but I felt so sentimental about it being his I couldn’t get rid of it. Now, I’ll either safely dispose of it or have rendered inoperable somehow.” - Dorothy Malloy
“I just want to say that your experience moved me to have some tough conversations with my kids, especially about taking bad news in stride and not making rash decisions and the finality of death. I'm truly sorry for your loss.” – Tara Knapp Koup
Dan Gross, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, commended Naib, saying, “By talking about Cayman’s death, Farid is doing exactly what we need to do to prevent suicide, especially among teenagers. Americans don’t talk about suicide, but with thousands of people dying every year, half of them from guns, we can’t afford to stay silent."
Cayman's Story complements a 28-page report released Tuesday by the Brady Center, highlighting the truth about suicide and guns. The report finds that while gun ownership alone presents the greatest risk, when combined with the impulsive nature of suicide and the effectiveness of a gun, the combination is deadly.
Cayman was a really, really happy kid. He wasn't being bullied at school. He had no real girl problems. He had a happy family. There were absolutely no warning signs. He got an email about a homework assignment and probably 20 to 30 minutes later, my 13-year-old son took his life with a gun I hadn't thought about in years. Farid, Cayman's father
Cayman was a really, really happy kid. He wasn't being bullied at school. He had no real girl problems. He had a happy family. There were absolutely no warning signs. He got an email about a homework assignment and probably 20 to 30 minutes later, my 13-year-old son took his life with a gun I hadn't thought about in years.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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