Protecting Yourself and Others

Despite what you may assume, suicidal individuals who don't have immediate access to a lethal suicide method, such as a firearm, in most cases don't simply find another way to take their life. By separating a suicidal person from firearms, even temporarily, you increase their chances for survival — which is why it’s important to always store firearms securely. Secure storage means storing all firearms in ways that put time and distance between a person and the firearm. This looks like storing firearms locked and unloaded such as locked with a cable or trigger lock, or in a gun safe with ammunition stored separately at all times.

Suicide often happens when multiple factors converge and create a time of increased risk. For someone who is having a difficult time or may be under more intense stress than usual, the best way to help protect them is to temporarily remove all lethal means, including firearms, from the home until the person is no longer in a state of crisis. Options for temporarily storing your guns outside your home vary by state and community.

Secure Firearms: Storage Strategies

• Lock: Firearms should be stored securely by being locked and unloaded
• Limit: Time and distance can be created by temporarily limiting access to firearms such as removing ammunition, changing safe codes, or giving the keys for locking devices to someone for safe keeping
• Temporarily Remove: In some cases, temporarily removing lethal means such as firearms is required to keep someone safe, and temporarily removing ammunition from the home can also be considered

The Importance of Secure Firearm Storage in Protecting Others

Firearms owned by family members pose a significant suicide risk, particularly for younger individuals. Research shows that approximately 50% of suicide deaths among 18- to 20-year-olds, and nearly all suicides by those under 18, involve a family member's firearm. For women, about one third of firearm suicides involve a spouse or partner's firearm.

Research shows that directly asking someone if they’re thinking about suicide won’t put the idea in their head or push them to act on it. In most cases, they'll feel relieved that someone cares enough to bring it up. So, it’s important to learn how to have a #RealConvo about mental health, and how to respond if someone tells you they’re having thoughts of suicide.

If you’re worried someone is in distress, encourage them to store their guns safely and securely, which means locked and unloaded. During a crisis, work collaboratively with the person in distress, their loved ones, and other trusted resources (e.g., their doctor) to help them remove firearms from their home until the period of suicidal crisis resolves. Finally, help them get the support they need.

To learn more, consider attending a free presentation of Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention. View a calendar of upcoming virtual and in-person presentations.