Firearm Suicide Prevention Day

Firearm Suicide Prevention Day, part of Suicide Prevention Month, was created to educate about America's growing firearm suicide crisis and promote the importance of storing firearms safely and securely — which means locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition — as an essential component of suicide prevention.

Firearm suicide is a growing public health crisis in America. On average, we lose 74 people to firearm suicide every single day — which is more than are lost to firearm homicide and unintentional shootings combined.

More than half of all gun deaths are suicides. Research shows this outsized epidemic is partly fueled by unsecured firearms. Firearm suicide is a part of family fire, or a shooting that results from someone misusing an unsecured firearm from the home.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides 24/7 free and confidential support. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

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Join me in observing #FirearmSuicidePreventionDay on September 10. Gun suicide is a public health crisis in America, making up more than half of all gun deaths. Together, we can ensure guns are stored safely and save lives.

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HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Write a Letter to the Editor using our template.

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USE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT

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LEARN ABOUT SAFE FIREARM STORAGE

Our End Family Fire program has been seen by millions and is not only changing how we store our weapons, but also reaffirming that responsible gun ownership saves lives.

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ASK, “IS THERE AN UNLOCKED GUN IN YOUR HOUSE?”

If you know someone who is in crisis and at risk of harming themselves or others, ask, “Is there an unlocked gun in your house?” It’s a simple question, but it has the power to save a life.

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LEARN WHY FIREARM SUICIDE RATES ARE RISING

Over the past decade, youth firearm suicide rates increased by 57%. Learn which demographics are most impacted, and the solutions to reduce the increases in firearm suicide.

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FIREARM SUICIDE ACROSS THE STATES

Get the statistics about firearm suicide in your state.

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OUR PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISEMENTS (PSAs) HELP REDUCE FIREARM SUICIDE

Gun owners who see our advertisements are 4x more likely to seek information on safe storage versus gun owners who did not see the advertisements.

So, simply by sharing our PSAs, you have the power to help save lives.

Millions of new gun owners are unaware of the importance of safe firearm storage, but this PSA can help change that and save lives.

By temporarily removing a gun, a firearm restraining order, more commonly known as an extreme risk law, gives a person in crisis time to heal.

Access to an unsecured firearm in the home increases the risk of injury or death. Protect yourself and your loved ones by storing your firearms safely.

4.6 million kids live in homes with access to unlocked and loaded guns. By encouraging gun owners to store all of their firearms more securely, we can end family fire and save lives.

4.6 millones de niños viven en hogares con acceso a armas cargadas y sin llave. Informar a los propietarios sobre el almacenamiento seguro de armas puede prevenir incidentes y salvar vidas.

The Threat

Millions of new gun owners are unaware of the importance of safe firearm storage, but this PSA can help change that and save lives.
Pause to Heal: Firearm Restraining Orders

By temporarily removing a gun, a firearm restraining order, more commonly known as an extreme risk law, gives a person in crisis time to heal.
Prepare for Misue

Access to an unsecured firearm in the home increases the risk of injury or death. Protect yourself and your loved ones by storing your firearms safely.
Take the Next Step: David

4.6 million kids live in homes with access to unlocked and loaded guns. By encouraging gun owners to store all of their firearms more securely, we can end family fire and save lives.
Da El Siguiente Paso: Augstín

4.6 millones de niños viven en hogares con acceso a armas cargadas y sin llave. Informar a los propietarios sobre el almacenamiento seguro de armas puede prevenir incidentes y salvar vidas.

ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SUICIDE AND SAFE FIREARM STORAGE

Research shows that safely storing guns unloaded, locked, and separately from ammunition can prevent suicide and save a life.

Unlocked firearms are far more likely to be used in a suicide attempt than firearms that are safely stored. In 75% of youth firearm suicides in which the gun storage method was identified, the gun was stored loaded and unlocked.
Because suicide attempts with a firearm result in death about 90% of the time, the safe storage of firearms is a crucial suicide prevention method. Storing firearms separately from ammunition has been shown to reduce the risk of firearm suicide, with some studies indicating a 61% decrease in the risk of family fire.
Youth suicide is sharply increasing in America, especially among Black and Brown youth. A 2021 study of childhood suicide data between 2013-2017 found that guns were the second most prevalent suicide method used by kids aged 5 to 11, and in nearly every case, they got the gun from their home. In fact, about 4.6 million children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun.
Simply storing a firearm safely is a factor known to reduce the likelihood of a gun owner dying by firearm suicide. Recent studies have noted that even a 20% increase in the number of American households practicing safe storage could prevent almost one-third of all annual gun deaths from suicide and unintentional shootings.
According to recent research conducted on behalf of the Ad Council, 54% of first-time gun owners report storing all firearms in the home locked and unloaded, demonstrating the critical need for safe firearm storage.

ABOUT FIREARM SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY

Firearm Suicide Prevention Day, established by Brady and End Family Fire, will be observed on September 10, 2024, and held annually on the second Tuesday in September. The date is an opportunity to mobilize and hear from doctors, researchers, survivors, veterans, mental health experts, and more about the evidence-based role of safe firearm storage in preventing America's firearm suicide crisis.

Partners in Firearm Suicide Prevention Day have included the American Psychological Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), This Is Our Lane, T Lock, First H.E.L.P., Everytown for Gun Safety, Los Angeles County Medical Association, Newtown Action Alliance, Ethan Miller Song Foundation, March For Our Lives, Change the Ref, Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), and more.

Firearm Suicide Prevention Day