Though veterans are well-versed in firearm safety, all owners should understand that during emotional or stressful times limiting access to their firearms could prevent suicide.
A locked firearm can mean the difference between a tragic outcome and a life saved for someone in crisis.
In Indiana, 76 percent of veteran deaths by suicide were at the hands of a firearm. It is well known veterans who store their firearms locked have a lower suicide risk than those who store their firearms unlocked. Getting as many gun locks into our community as possible can save the lives of our veterans.
Christa Sutton, Suicide Prevention Case Manager and Community Outreach Specialist for the State of Indiana, is asking Department of Veterans Affairs officials to help get local businesses to issue gun locks which include the Veterans Crisis Line phone number in the package that includes 25 gun locks.
Sutton is asking that these locks be placed into one gun shop in the county and ask that they display the box on their counter. This initiative was recently done at the Frankfort Rural King. The locks are being given away free at Rural King.
The Veterans Crisis Line number is 800-273-8255, press 1.