Charles T.

A few years ago, a Veteran friend of mine took his own life with a gun. It caused me to take a step back and think about how that could have happened. To this day, I still think about what didn’t take place that could have prevented this tragedy. I firmly believe that safely storing your gun ensures that even if you’re not in the right state of mind, you’re still watching your own back to protect yourself and others around you.

Life is so precious. You only get one. That’s what make me care about gun safety so much. In the military and as Veterans, we all look out for each other and want to give back to our comrades. The way I do this is by providing my service of safety to those around me and encourage them to do the same.

Locking up your gun is the sensible thing to do. If it’s stored properly, lives could be saved.

A MOMENT OF CRISIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, text or call 988, or chat at 988LifeLine.org.