September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.  Read and share stories to honor survivors whose loved ones died by gun suicide.

239,362
total hearts received for Moments That Survive

KaKi

By the age of 18, I had already lost three friends to gun violence. David, a family friend, was the first, in 1974. His best friend thought he was a deer in a bush, but it was David, using the bathroom. The second friend I lost was Jimmy. We worked together on classwork; I was peer tutoring him in English and social studies. He was funny and shy and created a hole in my day after he unintentionally shot himself while at a friend’s house. Greg, the third friend, was one of the first people I met when I moved to Arkansas in third grade. We grew up together; although we ran in different crowds in high school. His death by suicide, the day after we graduated, rocked me.

These deaths caused me to never let my children enter a home with a gun. They left me terrified of guns—until I found Moms Demand Action, learned of safe gun storage and met responsible gun owners. Since I was 12 years old, I have been looking for a way to make a difference. I found it! Moms!

Reacting shows support for gun violence survivors.

239,362