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Firearm Suicide in the United States

8.30.2019

Last Updated: 5.9.2024

Six out of every 10 gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides, resulting in an average of 65 deaths a day.

Mikey, a 13-year-old boy from Upstate New York, was friendly and engaged. One day in January, he shot and killed himself with one of his father’s guns. Mikey’s suicide came as a shock. “He may have gotten angry for some reason. At that age you’re not thinking how final a gun is.”

–Alexandria Bodden, Mikey’s older sister and gun violence prevention advocate

988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org/chat to chat with a counselor from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress anywhere in the US.

Introduction

25k

Each year, more than 25,000 Americans die by firearm suicide.

Firearm suicide is a significant public health crisis in the United States, claiming the lives of more than 25,000 Americans every year,1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. including more than 3,100 young people2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using data from 2016 to 2020. Young Americans are defined as ages 10 to 24. and 4,600 veterans.3Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “Those Who Serve: Addressing Firearm Suicide Among Military Veterans,” March 7, 2024, https://everytownresearch.org/report/those-who-serve/. Nearly six out of every 10 gun deaths in the US are suicides, resulting in an average of 69 deaths a day.4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. And the problem is getting worse: Over the past decade, the United States firearm suicide rate has increased 18 percent.5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. Rates are age-adjusted. A percentage change was developed using 2013 and 2022 data. This trend is of particular concern among young Americans, whose firearm suicide rate has increased 53 percent over the past 10 years,6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A percent change was developed using 2011 to 2020 crude rates for young Americans (10-24). and for veterans, who are nearly three times more likely than non-veteran adults to die by gun suicide.7Everytown Research analysis of US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, “2001–2021 National Data Appendix,” November 2023, https://bit.ly/2Qblicx. Veteran and non-veteran crude rates for 2021.

In a recent national poll, 16 percent of respondents—or roughly 40 million American adults—reported that someone they care for attempted or died by suicide with a gun.8SurveyUSA Market Research Study. Data collected from December 7, 2018 to December 11, 2018. https://bit.ly/2ExxpyZ. See question 36. But suicide, including firearm suicide, can be prevented. Removing access to firearms, a particularly lethal means, is the easiest and quickest intervention. Policies and practices that limit or disrupt access to firearms, such as those outlined later in the Recommendations section, have been shown to save lives.

Key Findings

Americans should be aware of the prevalence of firearm suicide, how having access to a gun increases the risk of suicide, and steps they can take to mitigate risk. Research shows that having access to a firearm triples one’s risk of death by suicide. This elevated risk applies not only to the gun owner but to everyone in the household.9Anglemyer A., Horvath T., & Rutherford G. “The accessibility of firearms and risk for suicide and homicide victimization among household members: a systematic review and meta-analysis”. Annals of Internal Medicine, (2014). https://doi.org/10.7326/M13-1301 People who live in US states with high rates of household gun ownership are also almost four times more likely to die by gun suicide than those in states where fewer households have guns. This relationship remains strong even when controlling for other factors associated with suicide, like poverty, unemployment, serious mental illness, and substance abuse.10Anglemyer A, Horvath T, Rutherford G. The accessibility of firearms and risk for suicide and homicide victimization among household members: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2014;160:101–110.

Access to a gun robs a person in crisis from a second chance at life.

There is a popular misconception that suicide is inevitable, that suicidal ideation is a permanent condition. But most people who attempt suicide do not die—unless they use a gun. Across all suicide attempts not involving a firearm, 4 percent result in death. But for gun suicide, those statistics are flipped: Approximately 90 percent of gun suicide attempts end in death.11Conner A, Azrael D, Miller M. Suicide Case-Fatality Rates in the United States, 2007 to 2014: A Nationwide Population-Based Study. Ann Intern Med. December 2019:885-895. And the vast majority of those who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die by suicide.12Owens D, Horrocks J, House A. Fatal and non-fatal repetition of self-harm. Systematic review. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2002;181:193–199. Everytown’s recent analysis of hospital records strongly reaffirms this research on the lethality of firearms. More than 60 in 100 gun deaths each year are by suicide, while just three in 100 hospital visits each year due to a nonfatal gunshot wound are the result of a suicide attempt. A reduction in suicide attempts by firearm would result in an overall decline in the suicide rate.13Soffen K. To reduce suicides, look at guns. The Washington Post. July 13, 2016. https://wapo.st/2I7MCUx. Yip PS, Caine E, Yousuf S, Chang SS, Wu KC, Chen YY. Means restriction for suicide prevention. The Lancet. 2012;379(9834):2393–2399.

Firearm suicides follow sharply divergent demographic patterns.

87%

Men represent 87% of firearm suicide victims.

Men, white Americans, and those living in rural areas are disproportionately affected. Men represent 87 percent of firearm suicide victims; they are nearly 7 times more likely than women to die by firearm suicide.14Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. White defined as non-Latinx origin. For men, firearm suicide rates largely increase with age, and are especially high for males 55 and older.15Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. For women, firearm suicide rates are highest in the 45-to-59 age range.16Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. 

White Americans represent 82 percent of all firearm suicide victims, and have the highest rate of firearm suicide by race.17Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. White defined as non-Latinx origin. American Indians / Alaska Natives also have a disproportionately high rate of firearm suicide, with the second-highest rate of firearm suicide among the country’s five major racial and ethnic groups.18Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. Racial and ethnic breakdowns developed using five years of most recent available data: 2018 to 2022.

Americans living in rural areas experience far higher rates of firearm suicide than those living in urban areas.19Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average for each CDC classified urbanization level was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. The average firearm suicide rate increases as counties become more rural,20Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average for each CDC classified urbanization level was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022. and the rate of firearm suicide in the most rural counties is nearly 3 times higher than in the most urban counties.21Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, Underlying Cause of Death. A yearly average for each CDC classified urbanization level was developed using five years of the most recent available data: 2018 to 2022.

For further discussion of factors related to firearm suicide in each of these demographic groups, see Firearm Suicide by Congressional District.

Recommendations

Firearm suicide can be prevented. There are actions we can take to mitigate the risk of suicide and save lives. Effective suicide prevention in the United States requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses the complex interplay between individuals, groups, community, and larger societal factors that impact firearm suicide. As such, the following policy recommendations are categorized by these four overlapping points of intervention.

A multi-faceted approach is needed to address the complex interplay between individuals, groups, community, and larger societal factors that impact firearm suicide.

Individual-level interventions promote behaviors and attitudes that can mitigate the risk of gun suicide among those most at risk. 

In-Home Secure Firearm Storage.

80%

Nearly 80 percent of child firearm suicides involved a gun belonging to a family member

Catherine Barber et al., “Who Owned the Gun in Firearm Suicides of Men, Women, and Youth in Five US States?” Preventive Medicine 164 (2022): 107066, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107066. Child defined as under 18. 

Policies and practices that disrupt the easy and immediate acquisition of firearms have been shown to save lives. Secure firearm storage can help mitigate the risks of firearm suicide, especially for children. Approximately 4.6 million children in the US live in households with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.22Matthew Miller and Deborah Azrael, “Firearm Storage in US Households with Children: Findings from the 2021 National Firearm Survey,” JAMA Network Open 5, no. 2 (2022): e2148823, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.48823. When youth die by firearm suicide, 79 percent of children under 18 and 44 percent of young adults (ages 18 to 20) use a gun belonging to a family member.23Catherine Barber et al., “Who Owned the Gun in Firearm Suicides of Men, Women, and Youth in Five US States?” Preventive Medicine 164 (2022): 107066, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107066. One study found that households that locked both firearms and ammunition were associated with a 78 percent lower risk of self-inflicted firearm injuries and an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children, compared to those that locked neither.24Grossman DC, Mueller BA, Riedy C, et al. Gun storage practices and risk of youth suicide and unintentional firearm injuries. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2005;293(6):707-714. And researchers estimate that if half of households that store at least one unlocked gun moved to lock all of their guns, 251 youth fatalities from firearm suicide and unintentional shootings could be prevented in a single year.25Monuteaux MC, Azrael D, Miller M. Association of increased safe household firearm storage with firearm suicide and unintentional death among US youths. JAMA Pediatrics. 2019;173(7):657-662. These lives saved would make up one-third of all preventable youth deaths from firearm suicide and unintentional shootings that year.

Many cities and states have laws that require or encourage secure storage. Most states and the District of Columbia have some form of secure firearm storage law. Some states have passed storage laws known as Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws, which impose criminal penalties when a person fails to securely store a firearm and a child gains unauthorized access to it. States with laws mandating secure storage or with CAP laws saw an 8 percent decrease in overall suicide rates and an 11 percent decrease in firearm suicide rates among adolescents aged 14 to 17.26Webster DW, Vernick JS, Zeoli AM, Manganello JA. “Association Between Youth-Focused Firearm Laws and Youth Suicides”. JAMA. (2004). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.292.5.594

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

26 states have adopted this policy

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

California has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
Any time not in owner’s immediate control
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Colorado has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
When child may or is likely to access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Connecticut has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
Any time not in owner’s immediate control
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Delaware has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Florida has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 16
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Hawaii has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Illinois has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 14
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Iowa has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 14
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Maine has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 16
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Maryland has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
When child may or is likely to access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
Any time not in owner’s immediate control
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Michigan has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Minnesota has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
When child may or is likely to access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Montana has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Nevada has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
When child may or is likely to access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

New Hampshire has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 16
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

New Jersey has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 16
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

New Mexico has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

New York has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
When child may or is likely to access
How does the state define child?
Under 16
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

North Carolina has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Oregon has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
Any time not in owner’s immediate control
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
Any time not in owner’s immediate control
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Texas has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 17
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Utah has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Vermont has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Virginia has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
When child may or is likely to access
How does the state define child?
Under 14
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Washington has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 18
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
Yes

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Wisconsin has adopted this policy

When does the law apply?
After child gains access
How does the state define child?
Under 14
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
No

Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

Not all firearm storage options are equal. There is a wide variety of firearm storage devices, including lock boxes, cable locks, trigger locks, and gun vaults. However, there is limited guidance on which storage devices are most effective at reducing access, by minors and other unauthorized users in particular. The federal government should provide such guidance, focusing on which devices are most effective at reducing firearm access across different populations at heightened risk for suicide—such as teens or young adults in the home—and what is represented in advertisements for storage devices.

Out-of-Home Firearm Storage.

Individuals in crisis can also choose to securely store their firearms outside of the home with an eligible friend, relative, or law enforcement, or at a storage facility or shooting range. States, cities, and community organizations can facilitate and spread awareness of out-of-home storage options by developing and publishing maps that display the specific locations where secure out-of-home gun storage is offered. Local gun storage maps are available in Colorado,27 https://coloradofirearmsafetycoalition.org/gun-storage-map/ Washington,28https://hiprc.org/firearm/firearm-storage-wa/ and Maryland.29https://mdpgv.org/safestoragemap/ The federal government should embrace this model and develop maps for states across the country. 

As a secondary alternative to storing firearms out of the home, individuals can reduce their access to firearms by securing their firearms in a key-locked storage device (lock box, gun safe, gun vault) and, in a time of crisis, give the keys to the device to a friend or family member. This can, in effect, remove access to firearms without the individual turning over the actual firearms.

Relationship-level interventions engage and empower others to educate about the risk of firearms and help limit an at-risk individual’s access to firearms. 

Extreme Risk Laws.

 To protect individuals in crisis, several states have passed Extreme Risk laws as a way to temporarily remove firearm access. Extreme Risk laws give immediate family members and law enforcement a way to intervene before warning signs escalate into tragedies by petitioning a court for an order to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds that a person poses a serious risk of injuring themselves or others with a firearm, that person is temporarily prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns, and any guns they already own are held by law enforcement or another authorized party while the order is in effect. A multistate study as well as studies in Indiana and Connecticut estimate that one suicide is prevented for every 10 to 22 firearm removals under Extreme Risk laws.30Jeffrey W. Swanson et al., “Suicide Prevention Effects of Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws in Four States,” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online 52, no. 3 (August 2024), https://jaapl.org/content/early/2024/08/27/JAAPL.240056-24; Jeffrey W. Swanson et al., “Implementation and Effectiveness of Connecticut’s Risk-Based Gun Removal Law: Does It Prevent Suicides?” Law and Contemporary Problems 80 (2017): 179–208; Matthew Miller et al., “Updated Estimate of the Number of Extreme Risk Protection Orders Needed to Prevent 1 Suicide,” JAMA Network Open 7, no. 6 (June 2024): e2414864, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14864; Jeffrey W. Swanson et al., “Criminal Justice and Suicide Outcomes with Indiana’s Risk-Based Gun Seizure Law,” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 47, no. 2 (June 2019): 188–97.

Extreme Risk Law

21 states have adopted this policy

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Extreme Risk Law

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

California has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, immediate family members, employers, coworkers, teachers, roommates, people with a child in common or who have a dating relationship

Extreme Risk Law

Colorado has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, family/household members, certain medical professionals, and certain educators

Extreme Risk Law

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, family/household members, and medical professionals

Extreme Risk Law

Delaware has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family members

Extreme Risk Law

Florida has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement only

Extreme Risk Law

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Hawaii has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, family/household members, medical professionals, educators, and colleagues

Extreme Risk Law

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Illinois has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family members

Extreme Risk Law

Indiana has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement only

Extreme Risk Law

Iowa has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Maine has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Maryland has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, family members, doctors, and mental health professionals

Extreme Risk Law

Massachusetts has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Family/household members, gun licensing authorities, certain law enforcement; certain health care providers; school principal/administrator

Extreme Risk Law

Michigan has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, family/household members, certain health care providers

Extreme Risk Law

Minnesota has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family members

Extreme Risk Law

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Montana has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Nevada has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family/household members

Extreme Risk Law

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family/household members

Extreme Risk Law

New Mexico has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement only

Extreme Risk Law

New York has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement, district attorneys, family/household members, school administrators, certain medical professionals

Extreme Risk Law

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Ohio has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Oregon has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family/household members

Extreme Risk Law

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Rhode Island has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement only

Extreme Risk Law

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Texas has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Utah has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Vermont has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
States attorneys and the Office of the Attorney General; family/household members

Extreme Risk Law

Virginia has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and Commonwealth Attorneys

Extreme Risk Law

Washington has adopted this policy

Who may petition for an order?
Law enforcement and family/household members

Extreme Risk Law

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Extreme Risk Law

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

Examples of Extreme Risk laws being used to temporarily remove firearms from dangerous situations.

  • 2018 | ROSEVILLE, CA

    An individual called police about a relative who was threatening suicide with a gun in his home. After trying for hours to get the man to come out with no success, police obtained an order and the man relinquished his firearms.1Koseff, “‘Best Tool’ to Prevent Gun Violence.”

  • 2019 | NEW LEBANON, NY

    Police arrested a 51-year-old man for illegally possessing a firearm and for shooting a car. Following his arraignment, the man made statements regarding self-harm, prompting authorities to obtain an emergency order. Police removed a handgun and seven long guns from the man’s possession. The man waived his right to the final hearing, agreeing to comply with a judge’s order requiring the removal of his firearms for one year.1Bob Fredericks, “Man Becomes First to Lose Guns under New York’s ‘Red Flag’ Law,” New York Post, September 13, 2019, https://bit.ly/37NqPPS.

  • 2019 | CRANSTON, RI

    Two days before Christmas, a concerned individual contacted police regarding a text message they had received, which contained an image of a man holding a firearm in a position that was threatening suicide. Police officers subsequently went to the man’s house, where he told the officers he had a firearm in the home and was intending to die by suicide. Police then obtained an order to temporarily remove the man’s firearm.1Katherine Gregg and Brian Amaral, “Police: RI‘s Red Flag Law ‘Likely Averted Potential Tragedies,’” Providence Journal, December 30, 2019, https://bit.ly/2RF2gyE.

  • 2020 | MONTCLAIR, VA

    A 33-year-old man entered another person’s home and was unable to tell police what he was doing there. Police learned from his wife that he was experiencing mental health challenges and had been exhibiting “paranoid and delusional” behavior. Police obtained an emergency order and removed six firearms, including an assault-style rifle.1Daniel Berti, “More Than 20 Guns Removed From Prince William, Manassas Residents So Far Via ‘Red Flag’ Law,” Prince William Times, February 25, 2021, https://bit.ly/32YwlOu.

  • 2020 | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

    Police obtained an order after a man threatened to shoot himself in his ex-girlfriend’s driveway, following their break up. Police retrieved a loaded gun from his car.1Graham Moomaw, “Pro-gun Localities Accounted for Nearly Half of Virginia’s Red Flag Orders in Law’s First Months,” Virginia Mercury, October 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/3gS6iB3.

  • 2020 | BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, IN

    A woman contacted the sheriff’s office after her husband made repeated comments about harming himself or using a firearm to provoke others to harm him. After investigating, law enforcement used the law to remove 20 firearms from the home.1“20 Guns Confiscated From Bartholomew County Man Under Indiana’s Red Flag Law,” WTTV, July 13, 2020, https://bit.ly/3gLEvSt.

For these laws to be effective, it is critical that families and other eligible petitioners are aware that they are empowered to take action. The federal government can support these efforts by establishing a federal grant program for states to train law enforcement and court personnel on Extreme Risk laws, develop protocols for enforcement of orders, and raise public awareness of this life-saving process. Further, federal law should establish a strong federal Extreme Risk process that can be used in federal courts in all fifty states.

Medical Counseling on Access to Lethal Means.

Physicians and other medical professionals are crucial sources of information about the risk of firearm access. By asking their patients about firearm access and counseling them about firearm suicide risk, medical professionals can help prevent these deaths. Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) is one example of a program that trains medical professionals to perform this practice.31Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM). Suicide Prevention Resource Center. https://bit.ly/2tmlUCr. Accessed June 20, 2018. The federal government should develop best practices, training programs, and guidance on how and when physicians should perform suicide assessments and inquire about firearm access.

Community-level interventions engage and empower community groups, organizations, and institutions to help prevent gun suicide in their community.

Public Awareness and Purchaser Education.

Access to a firearm increases the risk of suicide for all people in a household.32Anglemyer A, Horvath T, Rutherford G. The accessibility of firearms and risk for suicide and homicide victimization among household members: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2014;160:101–110. In many communities, gun dealers are considered trusted messengers by gun owners and can play a role in building public awareness about the suicide risk posed by firearm access and how to mitigate those risks. For example, through a program called the Gun Shop Project, dozens of gun shops nationwide have begun displaying and distributing materials with information about the risks of firearm access—particularly as it pertains to suicide.33Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Gun Shop Project. https://bit.ly/2c4QKah. Accessed August 27, 2019. To build on the success of programs like the Gun Shop Project, the federal government should require that gun purchasers and firearm permit applicants be given safety information about the suicide risks associated with firearms in the home, best practices for responsible gun storage, and suicide prevention information. More groups and institutions should be empowered to help prevent gun suicide in their communities by training and educating natural helpers to recognize warning signs for suicide respond to individuals in crisis. 

Societal-level interventions focus on how policy, social and cultural norms, and other large-scale factors can mitigate the risk of firearm suicide.

Firearm Purchase Permits.

States with permit-to-purchase (PTP) laws, which require an individual to obtain a permit in addition to a background check when buying a handgun, see reductions in firearm suicide.34Federal law requires criminal background checks for all guns purchased from a licensed firearms dealer and does not cover any sales by unlicensed sellers. A total of 20 states (and Washington, DC) have closed that critical gap for handguns, passing laws that require some form of a background check before a handgun purchase. Seven of those states require the check only pursuant to a purchase permitting process, nine require a background check only at the point of purchase, and four require background checks both in order to obtain a permit and also at the point of sale. Crifasi CK, Meyers JS, Vernick JS, Webster DW. Effects of changes in permit-to-purchase handgun laws in Connecticut and Missouri on suicide rates. Preventive Medicine. 2015;79:43–49. Connecticut’s enactment of PTP and comprehensive point-of-sale background check laws were associated with a 15 percent decline in the firearm suicide rate over the following decade.35Crifasi CK, Meyers JS, Vernick JS, Webster DW. Effects of changes in permit-to-purchase handgun laws in Connecticut and Missouri on suicide rates. Preventive Medicine. 2015;79:43–49. By contrast, when Missouri repealed its PTP law, the state experienced a 16 percent increase in the firearm suicide rate over the following five years.36Crifasi CK, Meyers JS, Vernick JS, Webster DW. Effects of changes in permit-to-purchase handgun laws in Connecticut and Missouri on suicide rates. Preventive Medicine. 2015;79:43–49.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Crisis Centers.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (“Lifeline”)—a growing national network of over 170 local- and state-funded crisis centers—is a critical resource for individuals in crisis and can be an important intervention point for lethal means counseling. The Lifeline is staffed by trained counselors who assess callers for suicidal risk, provide crisis counseling, and offer referrals including lethals means counseling when someone mentions they have firearms or other lethal means in the home. The Lifeline’s call volume increases annually and is expected to increase even more given the recent recommendation to switch to an easier-to-use 3-digit number.37“Efforts to Stop Suicide Will Get a Boost in 2020,” NPR, December 31, 2019, https://n.pr/38F4lji. More federal and state resources should be allocated to Lifeline to ensure Americans in crisis can access immediate help—particularly in states that have higher rates of suicide.

Waiting Periods.

A mandatory waiting period can also help prevent firearm suicides. A waiting-period law requires a certain number of days to elapse between the purchase of a firearm and when the purchaser can actually take possession of that firearm. Policies that create this buffer are associated with reduced rates of firearm suicide.38Luca M, Malhotra D, Poliquin C. Handgun waiting periods reduce gun deaths. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2017;114(46):12162–12165. Anestis MD, Anestis JC, Butterworth SE. Handgun legislation and changes in statewide overall suicide rates. American Journal of Public Health. 2017;107(4):579–581.

Waiting Periods

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Voluntary Do Not Buy Lists.

Some states have created a process for individuals who know they are at risk for suicide to voluntarily block themselves from purchasing, and in some cases possessing, a firearm for a limited period of time, known as Voluntary Do Not Buy Lists or Voluntary Prohibition Lists. Virginia established a Voluntary Do Not Buy List in 202039Va. Code Ann. § 52-50 and a similar program is being piloted in Washington.40RCW 9.41.350

Increased Access to Mental Health and Medical Services.

Roughly two in three Americans who attempt suicide visit a health care professional in the month before the attempt.41Ahmedani BK, Stewart C, Simon GE, et al. Racial/ethnic differences in health care visits made before suicide attempt across the United States. Medical Care. 2015; 53(5): 430-435. Increased access to mental health and medical services, including suicide prevention services, can help prevent a rise in suicide deaths. Efforts to increase access to mental health and medical services should consider how different populations receive medical care and how obstacles to medical care vary across populations. 

Further Resources

  • FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL CRISIS LINES 

  • SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS 

    • Active Minds has chapters on more than 800 campuses that work to empower college students to openly talk about their mental health so that no one struggles alone.
    • Asian Mental Health Collective provides a list of culturally competent therapists for the API community and works to raise awareness about the importance of mental health care and challenging the stigma surrounding it.
    • Black Mental Health Alliance aims to develop and promote culturally relevant trainings and services to support the health of Black people and other communities in the US.
    • Center for Native American Youth of the Aspen Institute works to improve the health and safety of Native American youth through research, advocacy, and policy change.
    • Loveland Foundation provides financial assistance to Black women and girls nationwide seeking therapy, with the goal of prioritizing opportunity, access, validation, and healing.
    • National Alliance for Hispanic Health is a science-based and community-driven organization that focuses on improving the health and well-being of Hispanic people and providing quality care to all.
    • American Association of Suicidology’s National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide works to identify youth at risk, develop strategies to move prevention upstream, and engage and empower youth to be partners in their suicide prevention efforts.
    • Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, founded by two dads who lost teenage children to suicide, encourages public awareness of teen suicide through the development and promotion of educational training programs.
    • You Matter, administered by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, creates a safe space for youth to share their stories about mental health.

Everytown Research & Policy is a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to understanding and reducing gun violence. Everytown Research & Policy works to do so by conducting methodologically rigorous research, supporting evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public.

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