Guns & America

The original idea behind a Larimer County gun safety program was to prevent youth homicides and accidents. But now, as kids spend more time at home and coronavirus stressors persist, the focus is expanding to include teen suicide prevention.

“Most suicide prevention PSAs stress a doom-and-gloom outlook and stress the tragedy of suicide. And from my point of view, [that] may do more harm than good.”

In the rural Mountain West, where suicide rates are high and guns are everywhere, momentum behind one solution is growing: During a time of crisis, get the guns out of the house.

One suicide prevention advocate in rural Idaho says, “They're just left picking up the pieces and not knowing where to turn.”

Experts fear these increases could continue as the pandemic drags on.

But these stolen weapons may not be the main source of firearms used in crimes.

Safety experts recommend securing firearms with a trigger or cable locking device, or locking them up in a cabinet or biometric safe that can only be accessed by the owner.

It is impossible for police to employ them in a way that does not risk severe injury, or even death, to protesters, according to weapons experts.

A federal program that gives military equipment to police is once again under fire — and some universities are listening.

A team found “a significant increase in firearm violence in the United States associated with the coronavirus pandemic-related surge in firearm purchasing."