Report: 71% of Firearms-Associated Deaths in San Diego County Are Suicides

Almost three-quarters of firearm-related deaths in San Diego County over the interval 2017-21 had been suicides whereas the rest had been primarily homicides, in response to a report launched Wednesday.

The Gun Violence Group Wants Evaluation Ultimate Report discovered that suicides accounted for 71% of the firearm deaths, adopted by homicides at 29%. Solely 0.1% of firearm-related deaths had been unintentional.

The firearm-related murder charge was highest amongst residents aged 25 to 44, whereas the suicide charge was highest for these 65 and older.

The report supplied prevention and intervention methods tailor-made to particular populations at highest threat for violence. Among the many proposals are creating and sharing suicide-prevention supplies and dealing to vary norms about gun violence by outreach packages.

The report additionally advises partnering with companies that supply free gun locks.

Enhancing neighborhood prevention providers is also beneficial within the report, together with increasing youth-focused packages, corresponding to mentorship and supervised after-school actions. The examine additionally requires partnership constructing between trauma hospitals and community-based organizations that join gun violence sufferers and their households to restoration providers.

“Though suicide and assault by firearm are important challenges, there stays substantial public curiosity, throughout varied communities, in resolving these points, and a number of alternatives exist for the County to be each a pacesetter and associate within the discount of gun violence,” the report concluded.

The county is creating a method utilizing the suggestions to advance gun violence-reduction packages. The report and work plan are scheduled to be introduced to the Board of Supervisors on July 18.

The county contracted with Well being Evaluation and Analysis for Communities, a Riverside County-based nonprofit analysis and analysis group, to conduct the evaluation, which incorporates findings from greater than 18 months of labor with neighborhood and authorities leaders, in response to county officers.

Metropolis Information Service contributed to this text.