Firearms Safety
Firearms are the most common method used in suicide deaths and account for more than 50% of Suicides in 2022.*
About 85% of firearm attempts are fatal.* Due to the lethality of firearms, safely and securely storing firearms is extremely important - especially when you or a loved one is in crisis. Putting time and distance between the impulse and the action can save lives. One study asked people seen in the hospital following a suicide attempt when they had first started thinking about making that attempt; 48% said they had first started thinking about it within 10 minutes of attempting.* Research has shown that if an individual is in a suicidal crisis and do not have access to a lethal method - such as an unlocked and loaded firearm - they simply will not find an alternative method, or they will find a less lethal method. More than 90% of first-time attempt survivors do not go on to make a second attempt.*
Safe, secure and responsible firearm ownership can save lives.
In Illinois, the rate of firearm deaths increased 68% from 2013 to 2022, compared to a 36% increase nation wide.* In 2024, 35% of McHenry County’s suicide deaths were by firearm. Firearms are the leading cause of death for adolescents ages 15-19 and young adults 20-24 in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle collisions. Only 1% of firearm injuries are due mass shootings.*
Data from CDC Injury and Violence Data Dashboard
Firearm Secure Storage
Secure storage of firearms can protect against misuse of firearms - including theft, accidental discharge, and self-harm. Safe storage differs from secure storage. Safe storage refers to keeping a firearm an unloaded; whereas secure storage refers to keeping a firearm in a secure locked location, such as any of the below options. There are several different types of secure storage options to fit the need of firearm owners.
Cable Lock (Price ranges $0 - $50)
Cable locks runs through action of single weapon preventing discharge. This prevents use by small children, unauthorized users, and theft while still enabling fast access when appropriate. Request a free cable gun lock from NAMI of McHenry County here.
Trigger Lock (Price ranges $10 - $75)
Trigger locks are placed on the trigger of a single firearm and prevents the trigger from being accessed. Trigger locks should not be used with loaded firearm. Prevents use by small children, unauthorized users, and theft while still enabling fast access.
Gun Case (Price Ranges $10 - $150)
Gun cases use an external lock, which can be electronic and biometric for further security, which prevents access by children, and unauthorized users. Gun cases still enable fast access and can provide secure storage during transit.
Lock Box / Locker (Price Range $25 - $350)
Lock boxes / lockers also use an external lock and many have biometric locks for added safety. This preventions access by children, unauthorized users, and theft. Lock boxes can be used for secure vehicle storage and enables fast access. A lock box is a perfect option for bedside storage for individuals keeping a firearm for protection.
Console / Vehicle Gun Safe (Price ranges ($50 - $350)
Console and vehicle gun safes are similar to gun cases and use an external lock. Biometric locks available in some models. Console/Vehicle safes prevents access by children, unauthorized users, and theft while still enabling fast access. Console/vehicle gun safes provide secure vehicle storage.
Full Size Firearm Safes (Price ranges $200 - $2,000)
Full size firearm safes allows for storage of multiple firearms in one place. Biometric locks are available on the external locks, allowing for quick access and prevention access by children, unauthorized users, and theft.
Firearm Restraining Orders
If you believe a loved one is at risk of harm to themselves or others, filing a firearm restraining order - sometimes called red flag laws - may be appropriate. A Firearm Restraining Order (or FRO) is a civil court order that temporarily prohibits a person from possessing or buying firearms, ammunition, and firearm parts that could be used to assemble an operable firearm when the person poses an immediate danger to themselves or others. A firearm restraining order is obtained through a formal legal process during which a petitioner asks the court to issue a FRO.
The purpose of the FRO is to prevent misuse of a firearm NOT to take the firearm away from the owner!
A family or household member is defined – in this case – as a spouse, former spouse, person with whom the at-risk individual has a minor child in common, parent, child, step-child, any other person related by blood or marriage, or a person who shares a common living space. FROs are free to file and since they’re civil orders, do not create a criminal or arrest record for the individual. Appellate Courts have continued to uphold firearm restraining orders due to the nature of upholding public safety. The intention of the FRO is not to take away firearms, but to keep individuals safe and prevent firearm misuse.
Talking About Firearm Safety
Discussing firearm safety can be a daunting but important conversation. Here are some tips to help you have a conversation with your loved one about firearm safety.
Approach the conversation casually and from a point of understanding. Remain calm - emotions can escalate the conversation making it more difficult for your message to be heard.
Explain how storing guns safely will help protect them and their loved ones.
Listen to the other person’s response, without interruption.
Focus on what safe gun storage looks like in everyday life.
Be prepared to share a few safe gun storage options.
Give examples of gun owners in your life who practice safe storage, or see if they would be willing to join the conversation.
If the first conversation doesn’t go the way you want, consider what you might change and try again at a later time.
Having age appropriate firearm safety conversations
Having a conversation with kids about firearms can be difficult, but it is an important step in ensuring they act responsibly when confronted with a firearm.
Here are some helpful tips to approach the conversation with a child.
Tips For Talking to Young Children
Make it part of the normal safety conversation you have with your children.
Keep the language simple; for example: “If you see a gun, don’t touch it. Tell an adult right away.”
Tell children not to touch a gun, even if it looks like a toy.
Assure children they will not get in trouble if they tell an adult they’ve seen a gun.
Repeat it on a regular basis.
Don’t have the conversation only once. Talk to them frequently, just as you would about other crucial safety issues.
Make sure they understand that any situation where there’s an unsupervised gun is a dangerous situation.
Tips for Talking to Adolescents
Include it in your general safety conversations about topics like drugs, alcohol, and drunk driving.
Tell them to immediately leave any situation where an unsecured gun is present.
Tell them not to listen to a friend who says a gun is unloaded or otherwise safe.
Give your teen strategies to get out of a situation where a gun is present—or brainstorm them together. For example, you could agree that your teen would say: “Mom just texted me that I have to get home right now.”
Assure them that it’s OK to ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes, but offer to do it for them if they don’t feel comfortable.
Don’t have the conversation only once. Talk to them frequently, just as you would about other crucial safety issues.
Make sure they understand that any situation where there’s an unsupervised gun is a dangerous situation.
It is important to remember that talking to children about guns is a precaution, not a guarantee of safety. One study found that young children who go through a week-long gun safety training are just as likely as children with no training to play with a handgun when they find one.*
Resources We Offer
Cable Gun Locks
We offer free cable gun locks to the community and have them available at the NAMI of McHenry County offices for pick up. Please fill out the form to reserve your gun lock. If your organization or agency is looking to become a pick up destination for free cable gun locks and would like to request cable gun locks, please fill out this form.
Trainings
McHenry County Suicide Prevention Task Force partners with NAMI of McHenry County to offer a variety of secure storage and firearm restraining order trainings. Including training for healthcare providers! CEUs for some professionals are available. Please visit NAMI of McHenry County’s Website or contact education@namimch.org for more information.
More to Come
As this program grows within McHenry County, we will be offering more trainings, webinars, and events. Continue to check back or subscribe to our newsletter for more information.
For more information or questions, contact Neva - geneva@namimch.org
Use this map to find a business, city hall, library, or police department that offers FREE cable gun locks - no questions asked!
More Resources
*References
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2023, June 23). An introduction to firearms and suicide prevention. https://afsp.org/an-introduction-to-firearms-and-suicide-prevention/
Brady United for Action. (n.d.). Statistics. Brady. https://www.bradyunited.org/resources/statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 13). Suicide data and statistics. Suicide Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html
Counseling on access to lethal means. (n.d.). Zero Suicide. https://zerosuicide.edc.org/resources/trainings-courses/CALM-course
Gifford Law Center. (2023, May 24). Illinois. Giffords. https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/states/illinois/
Harvard University. (n.d.). Firearm access is a risk factor for suicide. Means Matter. https://means-matter.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/risk/
Hardy M. S. (2002). Teaching firearm safety to children: failure of a program. Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP, 23(2), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004703-200204000-00002
Funding provided in whole or in part by the Illinois Department of Public Health