Everytown Veterans Advisory Council

Sean Horgan

Everytown for Gun Safety was formed 2013 when the Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America came together to tackle their shared goal of ending gun violence.

In 2018 Everytown launched the Veterans Advisory Council (VAC), led by

Chris Marvin⁠

(

press release⁠

). I joined in 2020 because my kids, then in 1st grade, were already practicing active shooter drills in school and it felt like we really lost the plot in this country when we burden our children and educators with gun violence. My commitment to this cause only deepened after a marine I served with in Iraq took his own life with his gun, sadly adding to the statistic that every day 13 veterans commit suicide using a firearm.

In an effort to make an impact, Everytown and the VAC developed and published the

Gun Access Intervention Continuum⁠

for preventing gun suicide.

Everytown Research produces an annual report entitled Those Who Serve, examining veteran suicide data from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs through the lens of guns.

We spend time educating legislators on Capitol Hill:

⁠

Some facts

18 veterans die every day by suicide and 13 by a gun. Veterans are 3x more likely to die by gun suicide than nonveterans.

Approximately half of veterans own a gun, and 53% of veteran gun owners keep at least one gun unlocked and loaded.

A gun is by far the most lethal means of suicide: A gun suicide attempt is lethal more than 90% of the time, while a suicide attempts by all other lethal means combined is less than 10% lethal, on average.

The Continuum of Intervention

The Continuum of Intervention is a tool designed for “natural helpers” (friends, family, etc.) who need to intervene in a suicidal crisis when a gun is present. The step-by-step escalating process of the Continuum of Intervention mimics the military’s continuum of force. The Continuum is set in motion by asking a person in crisis if they have access to a gun.

The Continuum has five components or actions:

Secure Storage - immediately lock up all guns in the house, separate from ammunition, 26 states have passed secure storage access prevention laws.

Give the Keys - temporarily give the keys or pin code to the firearm storage device(s) to the natural helper, reducing access but not possession of firearms. This is similar to taking car keys from a friend who has had too much to drink.

Out of Home Storage - voluntarily store gun(s) outside of the home, e.g a gun shop or with a trusted friend. *Storage actions and options will vary depending on state laws and availability of storage facilities.

Voluntarily Prohibitor - an individual in crisis can temporarily add themself to the federal list of prohibited firearms purchases. (*exists in 5 states)

Extreme Risk Protection Order – also known as “red flag laws”, ERPOs allow a natural helper to petition law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from a person in crisis, subject to judicial oversight and review. (ERPOs exist in 22 states and DC)

Links

⁠

Firearm Suicide Among Veterans of the U.S. Military.pdf⁠

⁠

A Marine's perspective on gun control - CommonWealth Beacon.pdf⁠

⁠

Guns in Mass_ Police chiefs come out against House gun bill.pdf⁠

⁠

Ask a Veteran: Suicide Prevention and Awareness⁠

⁠

My Dead Friend Zoe

My Dead Friend Zoe was written and directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, a fellow member of the Veterans Advisory Committee. It’s a powerful movie and one everyone should see.

⁠

I was lucky to see a screening in Washington DC in 2024 that included a great panel discussion with Kyle, other members of the VAC and Everytown staff.

⁠

Some facts

The Continuum of Intervention

Links

My Dead Friend Zoe

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