Brady Recognizes Annual Firearm Suicide Prevention Day on September 8; Calls for Action to Counter Rising Firearm Suicide Rates

On average, 74 people die by firearm suicide every day, more than are killed in firearm homicides and unintentional shootings combined.

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 4, 2026 — Today, Brady, the nation's oldest gun violence prevention group, recognizes Firearm Suicide Prevention Day, observed annually on the second Tuesday in September (National Suicide Prevention Month) to draw attention to the role of firearms in perpetuating America’s growing suicide crisis. 

The majority of gun deaths are suicides. Though gun homicides have fallen for the fourth consecutive year, CDC data shows that firearm suicides reached an all-time high in 2025. Notably, youth suicide rates have dramatically increased, especially among Black and Brown communities. New research finds that children are at least 20 times more likely to die of suicide with a gun at home than in a shooting at school.

Practicing safe firearm storage — or storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition — is one of the most effective ways to prevent firearm suicide, as adding time and distance between a person and a firearm can prevent an impulsive act. Even a 20% increase in the number of American households practicing safe storage could prevent almost one-third of annual youth gun deaths from suicide and unintentional shootings.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

The work that gun violence prevention groups like Brady have done to decrease gun homicides is crucial and life-saving. But there is a facet of America’s gun violence epidemic that is growing, and it’s one we don’t talk about enough: firearm suicide. Firearm Suicide Prevention Day is a critical reminder that guns are the most common means of suicide and a major driver of our country’s suicide crisis. Safe gun storage – that is, storing firearms locked, unloaded  and kept away from ammo – is a key way to prevent irreversible tragedies. When we check in with our friends and loved ones, we can ask them if they have a gun, and if they do, is it safely stored? We can normalize the idea that gun safety is important and it’s okay to talk about. Because it’s these little things that start to change the statistics.

To help families and individuals navigate these conversations, Brady’s End Family Fire program offers a personalized secure storage assessment. Whether you are caring for an aging parent, have a child in the home, or support someone in crisis, the assessment helps identify secure storage options tailored to the needs and circumstances in your home.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to reach the free and confidential 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.