For American kids, the new school year marks the return of active shooter drills. While events like Columbine and Sandy Hook are flash-points in the debate over gun rights and safety, some experts suggest these drills may do more psychological harm than good. Our priorities are misguided because a far greater firearm threat is the leading cause of death among children and teens: suicide. [MedPage Today]

Since the Columbine High School massacre, the total number of deaths from school shootings is dwarfed by the number of young lives lost to firearm suicide. Estimates suggest upwards of 500 K-12 students have have died in U.S. school shootings since 1999; in contrast, over 3,400 young people (ages 10-24) die by firearm suicide each year in our country. At the individual level it is worse. American children are 20 times more likely to die by firearm suicide at home than in a shooting at school.

This preventable loss of life from suicide and school shootings shares a common thread: easy access to firearms. In fact, 76% of firearms used in school shootings and 79% used in suicides are obtained from the home of a family member. One way to prevent these deaths is secure storage, as promoted by campaigns like Be SMARTand proposed federal legislation like Ethan's Law.

The problem of youth suicide isn't going away: research confirms a rise in suicidal ideation among American teens. A CDC report based on 2023 data showed that nearly 40% of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

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