Sadly, America is confronted daily with our gun epidemic. While terrifying school shootings and salacious crime stories usually get the headlines, the silent epidemic of firearm suicide is the most growing firearm-related problem in our country. As noted in a recent Armed with Reason article, “In 2023 alone… nearly two-thirds of all U.S. gun deaths were suicides.”
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Below are some recent firearm suicide-related articles and resources. We’ll be posting more informational links and graphics throughout National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 7-13) and on World Suicide Prevention Day (Sept. 10).
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.
Resources:
Prevent Firearm Suicide
“Suicide is a public health crisis. Firearms are the most lethal and most commonly used suicide method in the United States. A multilevel approach for suicide prevention that addresses access to firearms can save lives.”
Children’s Safety Network - Firearm Safety
“Between 2016 and 2019, an average of 13,330 children and adolescents ages 19 and under died due to firearm-related injuries (Source: CDC WISQARS)…. 36% of these deaths were suicides.”
2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Toolkit
“Connecting individuals and communities to the right support can make all the difference. Join us as we raise awareness, provide resources, promote evidence-based suicide prevention strategies, and share messages of hope and healing.”
Reports:
New Report Highlights U.S. 2023 Gun Deaths: Suicide by Firearm at Record Levels for Third Straight Year
“Report analyzing CDC data finds that 58% of total firearm fatalities in 2023 were suicides; suicides accounted for majority of firearm deaths every year since 1995.”
VIDEO: Report shows gun suicides reach record levels
“… suicide is one of the top three leading causes of death between the ages of 10 and 24 years old, and there are some signs to watch out for.”
Too Many, Too Soon: Youth Firearm Suicide in the United States
“This report aims to increase readers’ understanding of suicide, particularly by firearm, among young people in the United States.”
An Increase in Suicides Follows Rising Homicide Rates Throughout the U.S.
“A new study, published in Social Science & Medicine, examined data spanning more than 50 years to see how these patterns vary by race, firearm involvement and whether communities are urban or rural. The findings highlight how local violence can elevate suicide risk, reinforcing the need for integrated approaches to violence and suicide prevention.”
Articles:
What's Driving Male Suicide Rates? It's the Guns
“In 2022, nearly 50,000 Americans died from suicide, with the vast majority of victims being men. The CDC reports that men die from suicide at rates four times that of women.”
GVPanorama - My Dad’s Death and the Forgotten Half of America’s Gun Crisis
“Owning a gun, in other words, can turn an intrusive thought into a death much faster and more effectively. It is impossible, then, not to place some of the blame for my dad’s death on the gun….”
Firearm Suicides Are Increasing Among Older Women at an Alarming Rate
“Older men are 13 times more likely to die by firearm suicide than women, but a new study by the School of Public Health and the University of California, Los Angeles Luskin School of Public Affairs has found that suicides by gun are increasing rapidly among older women.”
Raising Firearm Purchase Age Supports Suicide Prevention
“Focusing on state-based firearm purchase age regulations, the brief analyzes firearm-related suicide rates across age groups in Texas and the U.S. It finds that raising the minimum age for purchasing any firearm from 18 to 21 can save lives by preventing firearm homicides, including mass shootings, and reducing firearm-related suicides.”
Photo by Mr. krvsn; via Pexels.