The new school year is barely underway, but already a community in a neighboring state has been devastated by a fatal school shooting. Two 14-year-olds and two teachers died in the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. Nine others were wounded.
While we are still learning more about what motivated the 14-year-old shooter, we know that he obtained the rifle used in the attack from his father, as a holiday gift, even after the shooter had been previously investigated in connection with anonymous online threats. (The father was arrested late Thursday on multiple charges related to the shootings.)
Sadly, we know the majority of school shooters use firearms accessed in the home. Responsible firearm ownership means making sure firearms are secured in gun safes, in locked gun cabinets, or with a cable lock or with another device that renders them inaccessible to children or anyone else other than the lawful owner, and separate from ammunition.
There is a strong relationship between suicidality and the perpetration of mass shootings, with early reports indicating that the Georgia shooter struggled with his mental health. Of all mass shooters in The Violence Project database, 30% were suicidal prior to the shooting. An additional 39% were suicidal during the shooting. Those numbers were significantly higher for younger shooters, with K-12 students who engaged in mass shootings were found to be suicidal in 92% of instances and college/university students who engaged in mass shooting suicidal 100% of the time.
During the month of September, which has been designated as National Suicide Prevention Month, Safer TN will be providing information and programming on suicide prevention. It may surprise you to learn that most firearm deaths in our state are suicides. As detailed in the Policy section of this week’s newsletter, keeping firearms out of the hands of people in crisis is a major focus of Safer TN’s efforts. By doing so, we may help save not just one life at a time, but the lives of many others.
As Safer TN’s Katy Dieckhaus, who lost her precious daughter Evelyn last year in the Covenant School shooting, says so eloquently, our hearts are with our neighbors in Georgia. Our resolve is stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee
Tennessee Voices on Suicide Prevention
What many don’t realize is the majority of firearm deaths – both statewide and nationally – are the result of firearm suicides.
Tennesseans have shared their stories on how they and their loved ones have been affected:
- Annette Lake with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network joined Safer TN’s Katy Dieckhaus and Erin Rogus on the Carlos Whitaker Podcast where she shared her heartbreaking story of losing both her father and her son to suicide by firearm.
- Faith leaders Rev. Clay Stauffer and Rabbi Shana Mackler share their experience in this past Tennessean op-ed.
Suicide by Firearm Data & What Policies Make a Difference
Tennessee has a suicide rate nearly 20% higher than the national 2022 rate. In our state, firearms are by far the most prevalent means of suicide, accounting for more than double the number of suicides from all other methods combined.
Rural Tennesseans are disproportionately impacted: According to an analysis by the Tennessee Department of Health, the data shows that individuals living in rural regions die by suicide at a rate 1.5 times higher than those living in metro regions.
In Tennessee, a shocking 91% of firearm deaths for those aged 65+ are suicides. Another startling figure: 78% of white male firearm deaths are also suicides.
While the majority of firearm deaths for children 14 and under in Tennessee are attributable to homicides, 35% of these child deaths are suicides (2018-2021), according to an analysis by the Sycamore Institute.
Nationwide, the rate of firearm-related suicide has increased dramatically over the past decade, particularly among our youth.
Policies that make a difference:
- Temporary transfer laws – which establish a court-ordered process to temporarily remove access to firearms for those who pose a credible threat to themselves or others – have been enacted in 21 states. In Connecticut and Indiana, where the laws have been on the books the longest, they’ve seen a firearm suicide rate reduction of 14% and 8%, respectively.
- Secure storage requirements that include child access prevention laws have been shown in multiple studies to reduce total suicides among young people. Such laws vary by state and can include imposing penalties if (1) a child could access the firearm, (2) a child did access a firearm, and/or (3) a child accessed and used a firearm.
From the Tennessee Department of Health: If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, know that help is available. Call or text 988, then press 0 for 24/7, free, and confidential support. Visit preventsuicidetn.com to learn about resources available in your area.
Come See Us in Columbia on September 6
Our coalition members will be at First Fridays in Columbia on the evening of Sept. 6. Stop by our table to say hello and pick up some swag! Click here to join us.
Join Us September 15 at the Safer TN Back to School Bash!
You and your family are invited to Safer TN’s first Back to School Bash featuring special musical guest Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show. Enjoy an afternoon of food, refreshments, kid-friendly games and activities at this inaugural event aimed at promoting safety as we head back to school. Get ready to be inspired and empowered to make a difference in your community. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with people who share your commitment to firearm safety. More information and tickets here.
If you have an upcoming event where you’d like to see a Safer TN presence, share the event details and we’ll reach out to you to discuss next steps.
Join the Safer TN Team
Voices for a Safer Tennessee is growing! We are seeking an experienced communications professional to serve as our Director of Communications, leading key aspects of the organization’s communications strategy in an effort to reduce preventable firearm deaths and injuries in Tennessee.
Click here to learn more about the position and apply.
And please share with any friends or colleagues who might be interested in joining us in this passion-driven, meaningful work.
Firearm Suicides Reached a Record High in 2023
While firearm homicides declined nationwide in 2023, gun suicides rose to a record high of 27,300. That represents a 29 percent increase from a decade earlier, when 21,175 people died from gun suicide. Firearm suicides now account for 58% of all gun deaths. (Source: The Trace)
Tennessee children continue to be harmed by gun violence. When will enough be enough? (Tennessean op-ed by healthcare leader John Bumpus)
- “Recently, I sat next to a physician who the night before had performed surgery on a 4-year-old who accidentally shot himself with a loaded gun in his home; a 13-year-old was fatally shot with a gun stolen from someone’s car in a park where my young children played frequently; and a young woman who had just graduated high school in my community was killed by a peer who found a high power weapon that was not safely secured in a home and assumed it wasn’t loaded when he shot it. These awful tragedies – and many others that did not make the news – are indicative of what the data shows in Tennessee: that our children are dying from firearm-related events more than any other reason, and that firearm tragedies continue to trend in the wrong direction.”
Tennessee must continue to make lowering the crime rate a priority now and into the future (Commercial Appeal)
Convicted felon arrested after shooting 2 in downtown Nashville, police say (WSMV)
Georgia school-shooting suspect struggled with mental health, aunt says (Washington Post)