Intervening when an individual purchases a firearm is critical because their access to lethal means has increased. Access to a gun in the home increases suicide risk, and the gun purchase may be a symptom of suicidal crisis. One research study showed the risk of suicide is elevated immediately after purchasing a firearm and remains elevated for at least 6 years following the purchase. With this in mind, the Gun Shop Project was created.
Developed out of a partnership between the New Hampshire Firearms Safety Coalition, the Means Matter program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and other stakeholders, the Gun Shop Project builds on partnerships between firearms retailers, ranges, and clubs and public health experts. The Gun Shop Project provides retailers, instructors, and customers of all experience levels with firearm suicide prevention educational materials. These include education on the elevated risk of suicide to the gun-owning community and strategies for prevention that allow gun owners to take an active role in suicide prevention among their peers. These are implemented through a variety of pathways, including educational events at shooting ranges, flyers for retail customers, and materials encouraging retailers’ increased awareness of potentially suicidal behavior. Through this effort, an “11th Commandment of Gun Safety” was developed, encouraging temporary offsite storage of firearms when an individual is at elevated suicide risk. The Gun Shop Project has gained significant traction in recent years and is now being replicated across the country.
Gun storage maps have been developed in some states to help community members find local options for temporary, voluntary firearm storage. Temporarily storing firearms out of the home is recommended when someone is at heightened risk for suicide. Before taking any firearms to a safe storage location, always contact the business or law enforcement agency ahead of time. Different locations may have different processes for storage, may charge fees, or impose limits on duration. Each safe storage location will be able to provide further guidance on their protocols.
The following states have created safe storage maps for the public:
Colorado
In summer 2019, the Colorado School of Public Health, Program for Injury Prevention, Education and Research (PIPER), the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine, and the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition developed the first of its kind state gun storage map to share with community members the businesses and law enforcement agencies in Colorado that are willing to consider requests for temporary, voluntary gun storage.
Maryland
In spring 2020, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health created a Maryland safe storage map to share the businesses and law enforcement agencies in Maryland that are willing to consider requests for temporary, voluntary gun storage.
Mississippi
In March 2021, University of Southern Mississippi clinical psychology doctoral students and project coordinators launched the Mississippi Gun Storage map that lists Mississippi businesses willing to consider temporary, voluntary firearm storage for Mississippi residents.
New York
In winter 2020, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Erie County created an interactive map of firearm storage locations, to share where gun owners can voluntarily and safely store their guns within the county. They also created an accompanying video to share how to use the map and why this tool is important for suicide prevention.
Washington
In February 2020, the Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program (FIPRP) at the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington created their own safe storage map to share the businesses and law enforcement agencies in Washington that are willing to consider requests for temporary, voluntary gun storage.
