Responsible owners can save lives by locking guns

Last month, I received the news that an old friend had passed away. Michelle was 46 years old, beautiful and bright but troubled by mental illness. On Nov. 29, she took a gun out of an unlocked trunk in her home and shot herself.

Just as is typically the case, no one saw it coming. She hadn’t told anyone she was in pain. Had she been thinking about it for months, weeks, days or only hours? Research shows that most people contemplate suicide for only 20 minutes before an attempt.

I know this because I have been a gun violence prevention advocate for years and have spent much time writing and speaking about the dangers of unlocked guns and the risk of suicide. I have had family friends kill themselves with guns. I’ve heard many sad stories about people who died too soon. But now, it is my story too.

Ironically, the owner of the gun bought it to protect his home from intruders. Instead, it was used within the house to kill someone he loved. Of the 33,000 Americans killed by firearms each year, nearly 20,000 are by suicide. Though people never want to think a loved one would take her own life, it is much more likely that the gun at home will be used to attempt suicide than be used to kill an intruder. After suicide, the second most likely event is that someone will steal a gun. In the most recent available data, 18,000 guns were reported stolen in Texas in just 2012 alone. When that happens, gun owners are putting guns directly into criminals’ hands.

I know that if the trunk had been locked, it may have saved Michelle’s life. I also know the gun’s owner certainly didn’t mean for this to happen and that he is devastated. Nevertheless, it’s high time for every person to know that if you’re going to call yourself a responsible gun owner, you have to lock up your guns.

Suicide is scary. No one wants to think it will happen. But the statistics show that the numbers are rising, particularly among young people, even among girls as young as 10. It’s almost unimaginable. Many people believe that if someone really wants to commit suicide, nothing will stop them. But that is not true either. Studies show that most people who make a first suicide attempt will not go on to try again. But easy access to firearms in times of crisis makes it more likely that the attempt is fatal.

In addition to that, thousands of Texas children live with unlocked guns at home. And though parents may not suspect it, most kids know where their folks keep the guns. Everyone should be concerned that the number of young people injured or killed by firearms has risen in Texas from 443 annually to more than 600 in recent years. Texans, we can do better.

I know the topic of gun control is a divisive one. I know that Texans have different views of what are acceptable solutions to the problem of gun violence. I’ve even heard and read that some believe that a certain amount of gun-related tragedy is “the price of freedom.” But I also know this: When someone dies of a self-inflicted or accidental shooting, the people who know and care about them grieve, and and families are devastated. What can we do to prevent this? If you have a gun, lock it up. If you see a friend or loved one in distress, offer help. Understand the signs of suicide and educate yourself about mental illness through sources such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Know the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and don’t be afraid to give the number to someone who is struggling.

Since Michelle died, I think about the many, many people who are at risk of suicide because they live in a home with unsecured firearms. And I think about the many lives that would be saved if their owners just locked them up.

I can’t bring back Michelle, and that breaks my heart. But please don’t risk having to one day experience this heartache yourself. In memory of my friend, and in hopes of saving other lives, I ask you today to lock up your guns. You really may save a life.