The fatal link between guns and suicide
Here in Massachusetts and across the United States, suicides make up the majority of gun deaths. (1) The data is clear: gun violence prevention is suicide prevention, and we must acknowledge the role that guns are currently playing in the suicide crisis.
Research shows that the presence of a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide by 300%.(2) In the United States, approximately 71 people die from firearm suicide every day. Nearly 26,000 Americans die by firearm suicide every year. 1300 of these deaths are children and teens. (3) Over the past decade, the national firearm suicide rate has increased 21% with a 36% increase among youth.(3) In 2023, someone died of firearm suicide every 19 minutes.(4) Nation-wide, 6 in 10 gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides.(5) Here in Massachusetts, 55% of all gun deaths are suicides. (6) In 2023, Massachusetts lost 157 people to firearm suicide.
Who is most impacted by firearm suicide?
Men make up 87% of firearm suicide victims in the United States. White Americans and people in rural areas are also disproportionately affected.(7) However, gun suicide rates are rising rapidly among Black youth (ages 10–19), with a 245% increase since 2014 and 81% increase since 2019.(8) The gun suicide rate of Black women has also increased 65% from 2019 to 2023. (9)
Youth firearm suicides overall increased 40% nationally. (2014–2023). (10) Nearly 80% of child firearm suicides involve a gun belonging to a family member, highlighting the urgent need for secure storage practices in the home.(11)
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US.(5)
57% of firearm deaths in MA are due to suicide.(6)
Between 2010 and 2019 the firearm suicide rate in MA increased by 44%.(6)
did you know?
What are the solutions?
Restricting access to firearms in moments of crisis
Guns are a uniquely lethal means of suicide. Firearms cause 5% of life-threatening suicide attempts but over 50% of suicide deaths. (12) Fewer than 10% of people who attempt with a gun survive.(13) That’s why it is critical that we limit access to firearms during moments of crisis. Research shows that tools like waiting periods, safe storage laws, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (or “red flag laws") are effective methods at preventing suicide.
There is evidence that Massachusetts’ strong gun safety laws are making an impact and saving lives. A 2025 Violence Policy Center report shows that states with the strongest gun safety laws and lowest gun ownership rates also have the lowest suicide rates - and that Massachusetts has the 3rd lowest suicide rate in the country. While MA still has work to do to get its firearm suicide rate down to zero, this study is further evidence that our holistic approach to gun safety legislation - addressing both gun access and the root causes of gun violence - makes a difference and saves lives.
Massachusetts policies that restrict access in moments of suicidal crisis:
-
Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) - Civil court orders that temporarily prohibit individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms if they are deemed to be a risk to harming themselves or others. The 2024 Gun Safety Law updated the list of people who can petition the court for an ERPO. Learn more about ERPOs in MA here.
-
Safe Storage Laws - Massachusetts is one of the only states that requires guns to be stored and locked while not in use. How is this policy making an impact? Nearly 80% of child firearm suicides involve a gun belonging to a family member. In MA, 9% of youth suicides involve a gun, compared to 39% of youth suicides nationally.(13)
Addressing the link between trauma, mental health, and suicide
Research shows that when we address the root causes of gun violence and make sure that people have the resources they need to be safe and well, suicide rates decline. For example, a new study from The New Jersey Gun Violence Resource Center found that community homicide rates and suicide rates are linked. According to the report, "A one-point increase in the overall homicide rate correlated to a 3.6 percent increase in the suicide rate the following year." CVI programs effectively reduce the number of homicides and shootings in our most impacted communities, and now we have evidence that this work helps prevent suicides too.
That's why the Coalition continues to prioritize CVI funding in our state budget advocacy work, and advocates for bills that address the root causes of firearm suicide. Read more about our legislative priorities that address trauma and the root causes of gun violence here.
More resources from the Coalition
-
Fact Sheet: Download the Coalition's new fact sheet about gun suicide here.
-
Webinars: Watch the Coalition's webinar with Samaritans about the intersection of guns and suicide here.
-
Trainings: The Coalition provides customizable gun violence prevention workshops for a variety of audiences about a range of topics, including gun suicide. Learn more about how you can bring these trainings to your community here.
To access Massachusetts-based suicide prevention services and support, visit our member organization and community partner Samaritans' website.
-
Conner, A., Azrael, D., & Miller, M. (2019). Suicide Case-Fatality Rates in the United States, 2007 to 2014. Annals of Internal Medicine, 171(12), 885–895. https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-1324
-
Duration of Suicidal Crises. (2012). Retrieved 18 March 2021, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/duration/#Simon
-
Means Reduction Saves Lives. (2019, February 26). Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/saves-lives/
-
Attempters' Long Term Survival. (2013, January 09). Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/survival/
-
FastStats - Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury. (2021, March 01). Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.html
-
The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. (n.d.). Massachusetts Gun Deaths 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2021, from https://efsgv.org/state/massachusetts/
-
Confronting the Inevitability Myth: Saving Lives from Gun Suicide. (2018, September 13). Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://giffords.org/lawcenter/report/report-on-gun-suicide-confronting-the-inevitability-myth/
-
Firearm Suicide in Massachusetts. (2018, February). Retrieved July 1, 2021, from http://efsgv.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Firearm-Suicide-in-Massachusetts_February-2018_Final.pdf
-
Facts and Figures. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://health.ucdavis.edu/what-you-can-do/facts.html
-
Rabin, R. C. (2021, April 15). U.S. Suicides Declined Over All in 2020 but May Have Risen Among People of Color. Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/health/coronavirus-suicide-cdc.html
-
The Rise of Firearm Suicide Among Young Americans. (2021, March 18). Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://everytownresearch.org/report/the-rise-of-firearm-suicide-among-young-americans/
-
Langbecker, R. (2019, January 17). Youth Suicides More Prevalent in States with Higher Gun Ownership. Retrieved July 1, 2021, from https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2019/youth-suicides-more-prevalent-in-states-with-higher-gun-ownership/
-
Bandlamudi, A. (2020, December 28). Youth Suicide Rates Are Higher In States With High Gun Ownership, According To A New Study. Guns & America. https://gunsandamerica.org/story/19/01/17/youth-suicide-rates-are-higher-in-states-with-high-gun-ownership-according-to-a-new-study/