When former Washington State University football player Tyler Hilinski, 21, died by suicide this January, his death devastated the WSU community, his family and his friends.
The picture for those who study teen suicides is getting darker, according to national statistics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that suicide ranks second behind unintentional injury as the cause of death among children
Leaders of 10 public health agencies and professional group announced plans to do more to prevent gun-related injuries and deaths, including asking patients whether they own guns and screening them for risk of using a gun in suicide.
Forefront is a program within the University of Washington's School of Social Work, and it has developed training that empowers teens to teach their peers about suicide prevention.
Of households with guns in Washington, almost two-thirds keep the firearms lying around, possibly loaded, instead of locking them in a secure place — a problem University of Washington researchers say is helping drive the state’s suicide epidemi
