Suicide by firearm is a uniquely deadly epidemic, with approximately 90% of attempts fatal. More than half of the US suicide deaths involve weapons. It calls for a new approach that many think could make a big difference: gun stockpiling initiatives.
Caleb Morse, a veteran who served in Iraq, told CBS News that he has “lost more friends to suicide than I have in combat.” That’s one of the reasons he started offering to store firearms for friends and community members in need at his gun shop, Rustic Renegade, in Lafayette, Louisiana.
From 2002 to 2021, nearly 87,000 veterans died by firearm suicide — 16 times the number of service members killed during the same period, the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety found in a 2024 report.
Since 2018, Morse has stored and safely stored approximately 400 firearms until their owners were ready to reclaim them, potentially saving countless lives. Louisiana has passed legislation that protects gun store owners who own guns from liability lawsuits.
Morse and others like him can make a big difference in stopping gun suicides because owners who don’t have easy access to their guns during a moment of crisis are unlikely to die, said Rutgers professor Michael Anestis, a clinical psychologist. . More than 70% of those who survive a suicide attempt do not try again, he said.
Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and one of the nation’s top researchers developing gun storage frameworks and projects, spoke with CBS News about Americans vulnerable to suicide and the steps people can take to avoid suicide. to help a loved one and how gun storage programs can make a difference.
CBS News: How do guns fit into the story of American suicide?
Michael Anestis: You can’t really talk about American suicide without talking about guns. More than half of all suicide deaths in America are self-inflicted gunshot wounds. There is a pretty clear link between access to firearms and death by suicide. So whether you are the owner of the firearm or someone who lives in the house [where] if a firearm is present, their risk of death by suicide is three to five times greater.
And it’s not like the gun makes them vulnerable to thoughts of suicide. It’s just that if someone is thinking about suicide and has quick and easy access to the most lethal method, they are at greater risk of dying. If you add up all other suicide attempts in the United States, less than 5% of those attempts result in death. There is nothing that compares to firearms in terms of how deadly they are in a suicide attempt.
CBS News: When we look at the American landscape, which communities are the most vulnerable?
Anestis: The communities historically known to have firearms owners are also at the highest risk for firearm suicide. So often those are white men, those are rural people, those are middle-aged or older adults. These are people with a history of military service or who have worked in law enforcement communities who are more prone to owning firearms and more prone to suicide with firearms. Those who die by suicide are predominantly men. Most of them probably have families, they’re middle-aged men, and they’re the ones who maybe should be the protectors.
CBS News: Why are veterans so vulnerable?
Anestis: Veterans have a lot of training and comfort with firearms. A very high percentage of veterans own firearms compared to the rest of the community. So they have more experience, more comfort and more opportunities. And then there are a lot of aspects that play a role in the lives of veterans who leave military service and find a new mission in life. And when you combine all of these factors with quick, easy access to a firearm, you unfortunately end up with a tragedy like suicide.
CBS News: When is a firearm owner at greatest risk of suicide? Are there any warning signs?
Anestis: It’s a common story for people who die by suicide, especially by firearms, that they didn’t ask for help, didn’t seek help, and didn’t tell anyone about their suicidal thoughts. So the best thing you can do is try to make the environment less conducive to a suicide attempt. That means, you know, abandoning methods of suicide. That could be medication. Often, though, this means locking up a firearm or finding ways to store it outside the home until the crisis passes — kind of like letting someone hold your keys when you’ve had too much to drink. and then you get them back and you sober up.
CBS News: Why firearms storage – why not protective orders, red flag laws?
Anestis: There is no one solution that will solve this for everyone or anyone. But what I like about safe storage is that the decision-making process remains in the hands of the firearm owner. Firearms are such a divisive political issue that people immediately feel like they are being judged, that their rights are being threatened, or that someone is telling them what to do. But somewhere along this continuum of safety that humans can plan for, we can plan to adapt in many ways. We can keep ourselves, our loved ones and our belongings safe. There are numerous options for storing firearms – gun safes, gun safes, pelican cases – and each of these different types of devices have different types of locking mechanisms. It can be a key, a code, like having a safe.
CBS News: What does an America that regularly uses gun storage look like?
Anestis: It is an America with far fewer suicide deaths, making it less lethal or less available around the world and with fewer methods. It’s a story that results in a massive and lasting drop in the overall suicide rate.
Editor’s note: This transcript has been lightly edited and condensed.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health resources and support, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine is available Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 10 PM ET at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
