* More than 60 % of North Carolina Suicides are Committed with a Firearm (Violent Death Reporting System, Annual Report, 2006)

* A gun in the home triples the risk of suicide (Douglas Wiebe, "Homicide and Suicide Risks Associated with Firearms in the Home: A National Case-Control Study)

* A firearm is used in most youth suicide.

* 85% of suicide attempts with a firearm are fatal (Means Matters, Havard Injury Control Research Center)

*Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in younger people age 15-24, with about 12 people in this age group dying each day from suicide.

* 85% of youth under 18 who died by firearm suicide used a family member's gun, often a parent's (Means Matters, Havard Injury Control Research Center)