Suicide research continues to highlight a critical role for firearm safe storage practices, as recent studies demonstrate that most children and teens who died by firearm suicide used guns belonging to their parents. Most adolescents ages 10 to 17 who died by firearm suicide used a firearm that belonged to their parent, and often the firearm had been stored unlocked, according to research findings.
The research reveals a critical opportunity for suicide prevention through safe storage practices. Suicide is among the leading causes of death for youth in the United States—second among children ages 10 to 14 and third among those 15 to 19. Firearms are frequently the method chosen in these tragic deaths.
For kids ages 10 to 17, the guns are often readily accessible in the home, making interventions to secure firearms a potentially powerful suicide prevention strategy.
The research underscores the importance of safe storage as a suicide prevention measure. Many youth who attempt suicide do so impulsively during moments of acute crisis. When firearms are readily accessible during these high-risk moments, the likelihood of fatal outcomes increases dramatically compared to other means of self-harm.
Public health experts emphasize that secure storage represents a prevention strategy that protects multiple populations: it reduces unintentional injuries to children who may accidentally access unsecured firearms, prevents youth suicide, and can also reduce risks associated with intimate partner violence and other forms of harm.
The findings align with broader research on suicide prevention. Research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics conference found that most children and teens between ages 10 to 17 who died by firearm suicide used a firearm that belonged to their parent, and often the firearm had been stored unlocked.
These research findings support public health campaigns and policies promoting secure firearm storage as a critical suicide prevention strategy. Many suicide prevention organizations now include firearm safety information in their prevention resources.