Ending Family Fire: Preventing Gun Suicides Among Youth

In the U.S., about 7% of children and teens live in homes with unsecured firearms. Each year on average, 637 children 17 or under and an additional 1,109 young adults ages 18-21 die from gun suicide, which are instances of family fire. This means that about every 5 hours, someone 21 or under dies by gun suicide in the United States. In as many as 75% of youth firearm suicides for which the gun storage method could be identified, the gun was stored loaded and unlocked. 

In order to end gun violence, we must address gun suicide, which accounts for 61 percent of all gun deaths in America. 

The Relationship Between Guns and Suicide

Firearm suicides account for more than half of all suicide deaths in the United States. Research shows that access to a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide death by 300%. Compared to other commonly used methods in suicide attempts, firearms are extremely lethal; about 90% of those who attempt suicide with a firearm will not survive. In contrast, the odds of survival are higher for those who attempt suicide by other methods.

This is significant because nine in 10 survivors of suicide attempts will not go on to die by suicide. It is sometimes — and incorrectly — argued that someone who is suicidal ultimately cannot be prevented from dying from suicide. Right now, two out of three Americans mistakenly believe that most people who survive a suicide attempt will make additional attempts in the future. In actuality, 70% never attempt suicide again.

Multiple studies have also linked the accessibility of firearms with higher suicide rates: States with the highest rates of household firearm ownership have higher rates of suicide overall than states with the lowest household firearm ownership rates — even though rates of non-firearm suicide are comparable across these states.

This does not mean that gun owners are more depressed or suicidal. What it indicates is that using a gun in a suicide attempt is more likely to end in death.

Controlling for the prevalence of youth suicide attempts and other risk factors, for each 10 percentage-point increase in state household gun ownership levels, the suicide rate among 10-19 year olds increased by 26.9%. Despite the evidence, many Americans are not aware that the method used in a suicide attempt depends on its availability during a crisis. Only 15% of U.S. adults agree that the presence of a firearm in the home increases the risk of suicide. Even among non-gun owners, only 20% agree that the presence of a firearm in the home increases the risk of suicide.

Since 2000, the percentage of the public that believes that having a gun in the home makes them safer increased from 35% to 63%. Importantly, individuals who own a firearm for protection are less likely to believe that there is a relationship between firearm ownership and storage and suicide risk, and are more likely to store their firearms loaded.

Why Safe Gun Storage is Essential for America’s Youth

Barriers put in place to prevent quick access to lethal means can delay a suicide attempt in the event of a short-term crisis, giving someone who is struggling with their mental health more time to seek help. In fact, many suicide attempts are impulsive, occurring within less than an hour of thinking about them, and 25% of individuals who attempt suicide make an attempt within five minutes of deciding to end their lives. Studies suggest that storing firearms locked and unloaded can be an effective measure to reduce impulsive suicidal acts.

But only one third of gun-owning parents store all household firearms locked and unloaded. If just 50% of all households that typically keep at least one gun unlocked changed their practices to keeping all of their guns locked, we could prevent over 250 youth fatalities from firearm suicide and unintentional shootings in one year. That’s one-third of youth gun suicides and unintentional deaths. 

Safe Gun Storage Saves Lives

Bottom line: Only until all Americans understand the importance of safe gun storage as a means to prevent suicide will we truly End Family Fire. That’s why we are proud to partner with Brady and the Ad Council in the launch of a new multimedia campaign focused on safe gun storage as a means to prevent gun suicide. Here’s how you can get involved —

• Help spread the word with the End Family Fire Campaign Toolkit. The videos, graphics, and posters are available for you to use and print out free of charge but cannot be altered or changed in any way.

• Listen to Brady’s podcast: “Teens, gun violence, and COVID-19.”

• Learn more about End Family Fire.

End Family Fire is a national public service advertising campaign from Brady and the Ad Council. This effort recognizes that gun violence prevention is a public health issue, and provides gun owners across the U.S. with a voice in the conversation and an important role in the solution. 

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to reach the free and confidential 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.