Suicide with a gun twice as likely as homicide — about 50 people per day

[SecularMotion]

LAS VEGAS — Americans are twice as likely to die from turning guns on themselves as they are to be murdered with one.

A national News21 analysis of 2012 data found 18,602 firearm suicides in 44 states compared with about 9,655 firearm homicides in 49 states. That means at least 50 people died per day from firearm suicide; 26 died from firearm homicides.

Gun shops and ranges in areas with high rates of suicide are teaming up with prevention specialists to prevent firearm suicides. Range employees are learning the warning signs of suicide to stop mentally unstable people from getting their hands on guns.

News21 contacted all 50 states seeking suicide data for 2012, the most recent year available, but Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island denied requests for statistics or could not be reached. The FBI received limited homicide data from Illinois and Alabama and none from Florida.

http://ctmirror.org/suicide-with-a-gun-twice-as-likely-as-homicide-about-50-people-per-day/

[acalix]

1. Suicide will always remain the worst argument for gun control.

My body, my choice. It's a lot like abortion.

I would argue that suicide is one of the most basic human rights there is.

[pablo_marmol]

3. No kidding!

Blind to their brazen hypocrisy - but nothing new there when it comes to all things relating to guns/gun violence.

[Matrosov]

4. It's not hypocritical

"My body, my choice" applies when one is thinking rationally, but a suicidal person is obviously not thinking rationally. Illnesses like clinical depression warp one's sense of reality.

[pablo_marmol]

7. "But a suicidal person is obviously not thinking rationally."

According to whom? What's obvious about it?!

Your "pronouncement" from the throne is rejected by this member.

[ManiacJoe]

2. This should not surprise anyone who knows about guns.

Handguns are the most common firearm used in crimes and in suicides. Death by a handgun is relative to shot placement. Suicides are done with shots directly to the head or heart. Criminal shootings are much less likely to be that accurate, thus they don't usually kill the victim.

For preventing suicides, secured storage is the key to keeping the non-owners of the guns from unauthorized access.

[ileus]

5. Sounds like we need to get suicidal people to stop abusing firearms.

[pablo_marmol]

8. W/regard to guns & suicide, research has demonstrated that

limited access to guns doesn't limit the overall suicide rate, just the 'suicide by gun' rate.

Why? Because people who are the most serious about ending their lives use the most effective means to do so. Take away the gun, they substitute a different extremely effective method. Aint rocket science.

Japan has very strict gun restriction. Of course, like the U.S., the crime syndicates have no problem obtaining them and the government looks the other way while their pockets are being lined by said entities. Japan's suicide rate is double that of our country.