Governor Markell issues executive order creating a firearm suicide prevention task force

Delaware Governor Jack Markell issued an executive order creating a firearm suicide prevention task force. Nationally, half of all suicide deaths occur by firearm.

This task force will include members from different groups, such as Delaware Firearm dealers and Suicide Prevention organizations, in hopes to create changes and strategies to help those in these situations.

The Executive Order 63 will examine the current outreach, education, and training about suicide to firearm owners, as well as develop recommendations to reduce suicides by firearms in Delaware.

Representative Val Longhurst explains that this task force will get the conversation going about suicide through firearms and hopes to start saving lives by taking action.

Longhurst states, “I think the conversation whenever you have over half the suicides are committed with guns there has to be a way to connect all the advocacy groups, the dealership, the gun ranges…there’s gotta be something better in the state that we all work together and how we can prevent suicide.”

The task force will begin work immediately and will report back to the General Assembly by January 1, 2017.

For the full text of Executive Order 63, click here.