Stoneleigh Fellow Jay Breneman has published a report discussing rural perspectives on firearm suicide in Pennsylvania, including risks and recommendations.
Gun suicide is rarely discussed in rural communities according to a sobering new report from CeaseFirePA Education Fund, “The Missing Conversation: Rural Perspectives on Firearm Suicide.”
In the first known, published polling on rural communities perception of firearm suicide, 1 in 4 rural Pennsylvanians say they’ve been personally affected by firearm suicide, but very few believe it’s a widespread issue in their communities.
This divergence inhibits efforts to address firearm suicide, which is the leading form of gun violence in rural Pennsylvania—accounting for nearly 60 percent of all gun-related deaths statewide and up to 80% in rural counties.
