Location of Firearm Suicides in the United States, 2003-2021

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the US, with firearms accounting for more than half of those deaths. Current research about firearm suicide prevention largely focuses on promoting secure storage to reduce or delay access to lethal means at home. While such prevention measures are essential, their exclusive focus on the home environment may fail to address firearm suicides outside the home, which may vary by subpopulation and circumstance. However, there is little information on these factors. We sought to quantify and describe firearm suicides that occur outside the home to inform more comprehensive and effective prevention strategies for these deaths.