Photo by Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez/U.S. Air Force

Of the 18 veteran deaths by suicide every day, 13 are from a self-inflicted firearm injury, according to a 2023 Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention report. Creating time and space between a veteran in crisis and their gun may prove to be lifesaving. That’s why DAV is throwing its support behind legislation intended to boost the safe storage of firearms among veterans.

The Lethal Means Safe Storage for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act (S. 4929) would create a grant program to provide veterans with gun safes and firearm lockboxes upon their request. The bill would also mandate that VA and Community Care Network medical providers undergo training on mental health and how to speak with veterans about gun safety.

“With service-based trauma on the rise, we must provide our veterans with as many resources as possible to keep them safe during their most challenging times,” said Sen. Angus King of Maine, who introduced the bill in August. “As our veteran community faces some of its greatest hurdles, this bill makes important investments in protecting our country’s best asset—its people.”

Safe storage of firearms includes locking firearms in a case, unloaded and stored separately from ammunition when not in use. Suicide risk is significantly reduced when guns and ammunition are stored separately, according to a 2005 medical study.

Veterans are twice as likely to die by suicide than nonveterans. In 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, suicide was the second-leading cause of death of veterans under 45.

“Those who purchased and owned firearms were more likely than non-firearm owners to report experiencing thoughts of suicide, and first-time firearm purchasers were more likely to report suicidal ideation,” the 2023 VA report states.

Safe storage of firearms was highlighted in DAV’s recent women veterans report, Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness. Women veterans were found to be three times more likely to die by firearm suicide than their civilian counterparts. More than 50% of all suicide deaths for women veterans were by firearm injury.

To help reduce suicide rates, “candid conversations about secure storage of firearms and the normalization of discussions with veterans” are required, DAV noted in the women veterans report, the first such DAV report to focus on mental health.

Those critical conversations recommended between clinicians and veterans would more likely happen under this bill.

“Every veteran suicide is a tragedy but a preventable one,” said DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem. “There must be a comprehensive approach to reducing veteran suicides, and it begins with frank discussions about how to store firearms safely and a way to do so. The Lethal Means Safe Storage for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act is a welcome step in the right direction.”

Are you a veteran in crisis or concerned about one? You’re not alone—the Veterans Crisis Line is here for you. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to call. Dial 988 then press 1.

Stay informed.  Join DAV CAN (Commander’s Action Network) at davcan.org to receive updates on legislation affecting veterans and their families.