A lot of suicides are impulse decisions, and access to firearms is a known suicide risk factor.
People often commit suicide with weapons they bought months, years or even decades ago—not because they planned their suicide this far ahead, but because they used a firearm that was already available.
The understanding is, without a gun at hand, suicidal people often opt for other suicide methods—ones that take much longer to set up and are far less reliable. This gives them more time and sometimes more chances to reconsider—and many of them do.
A lot of suicides are impulse decisions, and access to firearms is a known suicide risk factor.
People often commit suicide with weapons they bought months, years or even decades ago—not because they planned their suicide this far ahead, but because they used a firearm that was already available.
The understanding is, without a gun at hand, suicidal people often opt for other suicide methods—ones that take much longer to set up and are far less reliable. This gives them more time and sometimes more chances to reconsider—and many of them do.