COLUMBIA, MO — Missouri has no state law regulating how firearms are stored, even though suicide by gun remains the most lethal kind of attempt. Public health advocates say that gap matters because access to a firearm can turn a crisis into a fatal outcome far faster than other methods.
Each year, roughly 752 people in Missouri die by firearm suicide, according to figures cited in the story. The American Academy of Pediatrics says firearm attempts are 91% fatal, compared with 23% for attempts involving drug overdoses. That gap has made safe storage a central focus for prevention groups across the state.
Missouri ranks high for firearm suicide deaths compared with nearby states
Data from Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions ranked Missouri 10th highest in gun-death rates in 2024, with 11.6 firearm suicides per 100,000 residents. That places the state well above some of its neighbors, including Illinois and Iowa, which ranked 33rd and 35th.
Those numbers are part of why advocates say the issue should not be treated as abstract policy debate. They argue the state’s death rate shows how quickly firearm access can shape the outcome when someone is in distress, especially in places where no storage requirement exists.
Only 16 states and Washington, D.C., have safe-storage laws, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Missouri is not one of them, leaving local educators, health groups and volunteers to fill in where the law does not.
Legislative attempts to tighten storage and fund crisis help stalled
Lawmakers have tried to change that, but the efforts cited in the story did not get far enough to become law. During the 2026 legislative session, Sen. Barbara Washington of St. Louis sponsored Senate Bill 1171, which would have made unsafe firearm storage a Class C felony in Missouri. The bill never reached the Senate floor.
Last session, Rep. John Black of Marshfield sponsored House Bill 2763, a measure that would have created permanent funding for Missouri crisis services, including 988, the state’s suicide and crisis lifeline. The bill drew support from the American Federation for Suicide Prevention and from other lawmakers, including Gregg Bush.
Even as those bills stalled, the underlying need remained the same: more resources to help people in crisis and more safeguards around firearms when someone may be at risk.
Gregg Bush says families must step in when people do not ask for help
Missouri state Rep. Gregg Bush, a Columbia Democrat, said shrinking mental health resources in the state make it even more important for friends and relatives to pay attention. His message was that people who are hurting do not always reach out first.
“Sometimes the people that need the most help are the ones that don’t reach out… so we have to do the work to keep our friends and family safe,” Bush said.
That approach matches the broader prevention argument from advocates: if a crisis is temporary, then delaying access to a firearm can create a window for help, intervention or a change in the moment. Supporters of safe storage say that window can be lifesaving.
Advocates say locks create time and distance in a crisis
Lauren Ross, Missouri Chapter Board and Advocacy chair with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said the point of safe storage is not to remove firearms from homes. Instead, she described it as a way to slow down a split-second decision.
“The goal behind safe firearm storage isn’t to take the firearms away; it is to put time and distance between the thought and the actual lethal means themselves,” Ross said.
Gun locks are one of the most direct tools available. They thread through a firearm to keep it from being loaded or fired until unlocked, which effectively disables the weapon. The VA also describes gun locks as a way to create time and space between “a moment of despair and a permanent decision.”
Walks, hospitals and school outreach are trying to close the gap
Without a statewide policy, some Missouri groups are leaning on education and free resources. The Missouri Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will hold its annual Out of the Darkness Walk on Oct. 25. Money from the event supports advocacy, education and research for communities across Missouri.
People who are struggling can also contact AFSP chapter leaders nationwide, who can help provide a gun safety lock. Another place to get one is a Veterans Hospital in Missouri. Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia is one of four major Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in the state, alongside clinics in Sedalia, Camdenton and Jefferson City.
Local schools have also been part of the effort. Last school year, Columbia Public Schools officials met with Columbia police to update the student handbook with information on secure firearm storage, adding another layer of prevention messaging for families.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
