Gun shops targeted in statewide suicide prevention campaign

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network is targeting gun shops as part of its public awareness campaign.

The Commercial Appeal reports that a poster on display in a Memphis gun store says suicides in Tennessee far outnumber homicides, and firearms are the leading method. The sign lists a crisis hotline

Will Bass, the gun shop’s general manager, says it’s good to have anti-suicide messages posted in the shop.

Each year, hundreds of people in Tennessee use guns to kill themselves. The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s Gun Safety Project is trying to prevent deaths through a public awareness campaign that targets gun stores and gun ranges.

The network’s executive director, Scott Ridgway, says he believes in the right to own guns. He says the network’s campaign is about safety.