Student’s Suicide is the 121st School Shooting Since Sandy Hook Tragedy
Phoenix, AZ — In response to yesterday’s shooting at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe in which an 18-year-old student shot and killed himself on campus, the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement.
Statement from Geneva Haber, Volunteer Chapter Leader for the Arizona Chapter of Moms Demand Action:
“First and foremost our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the student killed and the entire Corona del Sol High School community. As a mom, I cannot fathom the pain they must be experiencing. Suicide in teens is often an impulsive act, and the availability of a gun poses a major risk. While we don’t yet know how the student obtained the gun he used to kill himself, it’s imperative that parents take the time to talk to their children about depression and suicide and also take precautions to properly secure any guns so they are out of their children’s reach.”
Additional Information About Suicide and Guns:
- Purchasing a handgun is associated with a substantially increased risk of suicide.
- Americans are more likely to commit suicide if they live in an area with a higher prevalence of household gun ownership.
- Half of all suicides in this country are committed with firearms, and 85% of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal.
- Suicide attempts committed with a firearm are twenty-one times more likely to result in a fatality than several other methods, including suffocation (69%), falls (31%), and poisoning/overdose (2%).
About Everytown for Gun Safety
Everytown is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2.5 million supporters and more than 40,000 donors including moms, mayors, survivors, and everyday Americans who are fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and help save lives. At the core of Everytown are Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a grassroots movement of American mothers founded the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy. Learn more at www.everytown.org and follow us @Everytown
About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2.5 million members and more than 40,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter at @MomsDemand
