An increasing number of older people are taking their own lives with firearms, according to The Trace, a nonprofit organization that studies gun violence. The trend reveals a quiet crisis taking place across the country … and in our state in particular. The Trace’s data shows Nevada has the second-highest rate of suicide by firearms among older residents.
The Trace compiled data from different resources, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2009 and 2023, more than 63,000 Americans age 70 and up took their lives using a handgun.
Researcher Aaron Mendelson said the startling trend prompted him to look into this trend further. “I was really stunned to see that the age group with the highest rate of suicides in the United States are older Americans," Mendelson said. "Basically, these rates get higher the older you get. I just felt that wasn’t a well understood statistic and that it was really worth diving into.”
“The data is loud and clear,” he said, noting older white men are most at risk. “They die by gun suicide at the highest rate. It’s a rate more than triple that of Black and Latino men of the same age range, and 19 times higher than the rate of women 70 and over.”
Answering “why” is more difficult. “Data can tell us what is happening but not why that is happening," Mendelson said. "But there are indications that doctors, researchers and professionals who work with older adults consistently brought up. These are things like severe illness, financial pressures, isolation, lack of mental health care, difficulty getting medical care, cognitive impairment and the availability of firearms.”
He added that experts also say suicide is often an impulsive act, so most people who attempt suicide and don't die never attempt it again if they don't have access to a lethal means, such as a firearm.
“This is not a good death,” Mendelson said. "It can leave a real traumatic burden for the family.”
Katrina Brees has been working to get legislation referred to as "Donna’s Law” passed in states across the country. It's named after Brees' mother, who took her life about eight years ago with a gun.
Brees says her mother was a fun-loving, creative person, but she struggled with highs and lows for many years. Brees recounted how easily her mother was able to find the store, where she purchased a gun and bullets.
Donna’s Law is a voluntary effort that allows people to place themselves on a list that licensed dealers can refer to and use to deny firearm sales. Brees calls it a “life-saving tool” that could help prevent suicides by creating a barrier for themselves from impulsive gun purchasing.
Marcia Blake, the executive director at Helpling Hands of Vegas Valley, says common thread among older adults is a sense of desperation and inability to change the trajectory of their lives. This could range from financial concerns to battling an ongoing illness to isolation. They also don't want to "be a burden to their families," Blake said.
While there are a number of voluntary and legal efforts proposed to help stem the trend of increasing suicides among older adults, Brees maintains that "family is more effective than any law.” At the heart of intervention is education — such as knowing what guns are within the household and finding out what resources are available.
More information about The Trace's data is available here.
If you or someone in your life needs resources, you can dial 988 for the 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for a live chat.
Guests: Marcia Blake, executive director, Helping Hands of Las Vegas Valley; Katrina Brees, proponent of Donn's Law; Aaron Mendelson, news director, Gun Violence Hub, The Trace
