Shasta County seeks to reduce suicides amid high gun ownership
In Shasta County, California, which has both the state’s highest rates of suicide and gun ownership, public health officials are focusing on a “means safety” strategy to prevent firearm suicides. The county’s suicide rate reached an all-time high of 33.3 per 100,000 in 2022, triple the state average. In 2024, 43 suicides occurred in the county, an increase of about a third from the previous year, with three-quarters of victims being men and nearly all using firearms. Rather than discouraging gun ownership directly, the Shasta health agency has distributed free lockboxes and run awareness campaigns, including ads on city buses in Redding. One initiative, You Matter Shasta, has organized gun safe and lock giveaways at gun ranges and in Spanish and Mien-speaking communities. However, the county has distributed only about 200 safes while approving roughly 4,688 active concealed carry permits over the past two years. Officials cite state funding cuts, staffing shortages, and cultural attitudes favoring self-reliance as challenges. The county’s new suicide fatality review team and supervisor Matt Plummer are working to cut the suicide rate in half.
What’s reported
Shasta County has both California’s highest rates of suicide and gun ownership.
In 2022, suicides reached an all-time high of 33.3 per 100,000, triple the state average.
In 2024, 43 suicides occurred, an increase of about a third from the previous year.
Three-quarters of those who died by suicide in 2024 were men, and nearly every one used a firearm.
The county’s health agency focuses on “means safety” — distancing people from lethal means like unlocked guns.
Free lockbox giveaways and bus ads in Redding are part of the campaign.
You Matter Shasta has organized giveaways at gun ranges and in Spanish and Mien-speaking communities.
Only about 200 safes have been distributed, while the county approved roughly 4,688 active concealed carry permits over two years.
State funding cuts and staffing shortages have hampered efforts.
Supervisor Matt Plummer aims to cut the suicide rate in half with a three-phase plan.
Open questions
Whether the county’s suicide rate will decline further with current strategies.
The exact number of suicides for 2025 (still provisional).
How many people have been reached by the awareness campaign beyond safe distribution numbers.
Misconceptions
The article addresses the misconception that storing a firearm unlocked for quick home defense is safer than using a lockbox, noting that studies suggest Californians in homes with firearms are significantly more likely to be homicide victims. Officials frame safe storage conversations around safety and care, not judgment.
Key figures
Bill Rocha (deceased gun owner, father of Kelly Rocha)
Kelly Rocha (daughter, suicide loss survivor)
Amy Barnhorst (associate director, Centers for Violence Prevention, UC Davis)
Marcia Ramstrom (suicide crisis counselor providing “suicide postvention”)
Lindsay Heuer (education specialist, Shasta County public health team)
Matt Plummer (Shasta County supervisor, elected in 2025)
Sources: The Guardian
